# Unite to Remain

Part of a series of articles on :
Brexit :
Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union
Glossary of terms :
Background
European Communities Act
1975 EC membership referendum
UK rebate
Bruges speech
No. No. No.
Maastricht Rebels
Black Wednesday
European Union (Amendment) Act 2008
European Union Act 2011
UK opt-outs from EU legislation
Euroscepticism in the UK
UK opinion polling on EU membership
Campaigns for a referendum
People's Pledge
Labour for a Referendum
Bloomberg speech
In or Out
2013–14 EU (Referendum) Bill (unsuccessful)
2014 European Parliament election
2014 UK Parliament by-elections
Clacton
Heywood and Middleton
Rochester and Strood
2015 UK general election
2015–16 EU membership renegotiation :
2016 EU referendum
EU Referendum Act (Gibraltar)
EU Referendum (Date of Referendum etc.) Regulations
EU Referendum (Conduct) Regulations
Issues
Endorsements
Opinion polling
UK Government pro-EU leaflet
Campaigns
Leave campaigns
Vote Leave (official)
Business for Britain
Conservatives for Britain
BeLeave
Leave.EU
Bpoplive
The Freedom Association
Better Off Out
Grassroots Out
Labour Leave
Get Britain Out
Bruges Group
Campaign for an Independent Britain
Brexit: The Movie
Remain campaigns
Britain Stronger in Europe (official)
Labour In for Britain
European Movement UK
Britain in Europe
British Influence
Business for New Europe
Nucleus
Project Fear
Outcome
Results
Causes for result
International reactions
Immediate aftermath
2016 Conservative Party election
2016 Labour Party election
2016 UKIP election
Department for Exiting the EU
Department for International Trade
Allegations of unlawful campaigning
Alleged Russian interference :
Notice of withdrawal
Article 50 process
Miller case (Article 50)
EU (Notification of Withdrawal) Act 2017
Brexit plan
Repeal Bill plan
2017 UK general election :
Negotiations
Negotiation positions
EU negotiation mandate
Chequers agreement
Timeline: 2017, 2018, 2019
2019 European Parliament election
2019 UK general election :
Withdrawal agreement
Brexit divorce bill
Fish for finance
Irish backstop
No-deal Brexit
Northern Ireland Protocol
Northern Ireland Protocol Bill
Windsor Framework :
Legislation
Withdrawal Act 2018 (Gibraltar)
Nuclear Safeguards Act 2018
Cooper–Letwin Act
Benn Act
2019 suspension of rebel Conservative MPs
Public Vote Bill (not passed)
Terms of Withdrawal Bills (not passed)
Scottish EU Continuity Bill (blocked)
Withdrawal Agreement Act (Gibraltar)
Scottish EU Continuity Act
Internal Market Act
EU (Future Relationship) Act
Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill :
Impact
Impact on the Irish border
Good Friday Agreement
Impact on the EU
Economic effects
Effects on Gibraltar
Scientific cooperation
Effects on popular culture
Retained EU law
2021 Jersey dispute :
EU–UK relations
Relations pre- and post-Brexit
EU–UK trade negotiation
EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA)
Partnership Council
Partnership Assembly
Relations with EU member states
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Akrotiri and Dhekelia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Ireland–UK border
British–Irish Council
North/South Ministerial Council
Italy
Lithuania
Malta
Netherlands
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia
Spain
Status of Gibraltar
Gibraltar–Spain border
Sweden
Conjectured EEA membership :
Opposition
Post-referendum opinion polling
New initiatives
Change Britain
More United
Open Britain
The New European
Unite to Remain
Led By Donkeys
Revoke Article 50 petition
Postcards from the 48%
Proposed second Scottish independence referendum
Calls for a second referendum
People's Vote
Britain for Europe
European Movement UK
For our Future's Sake
Healthier IN the EU
InFacts
Open Britain
Our Future Our Choice
Scientists for EU
Other organisations
Best for Britain
Bollocks to Brexit
Change UK
Liberal Democrats
Right to Vote :
Timeline Bloomberg speech Jan 2013 Referendum Bill blockedJan 2014 European Parliament election May 2014 2015 general election May 2015 Renegotiation begins Jun 2015 Referendum Act passed Dec 2015 Renegotiation concluded Feb 2016 Referendum held Jun 2016 David Cameron resigns as PM Jul 2016 Theresa May becomes PM Jul 2016 Article 50 judgement Jan 2017 Brexit plan presentedFeb 2017 Notification Act passed Mar 2017 Article 50 invoked Mar 2017 Repeal Bill plan presentedMar 2017 2017 general election Jun 2017 Brexit negotiations begin Jun 2017 Withdrawal Act passedJun 2018 Chequers plan presented Jul 2018 Withdrawal agreement plan presented July 2018 Withdrawal agreement released Nov 2018 Scottish Continuity Bill blockedDec 2018 Meaningful votes Jan–Mar 2019 Brexit delayed until 12 April Mar 2019 Cooper–Letwin Act passed Apr 2019 Brexit delayed until 31 October Apr 2019 European Parliament election May 2019 Theresa May resigns as PM Jul 2019 Boris Johnson becomes PM Jul 2019 Prorogation and annulment Aug–Sep 2019 Benn Act passed Sep 2019 Withdrawal agreement revised Oct 2019 Brexit delayed until 31 January Oct 2019 2019 general election Dec 2019 Agreement Act passed Jan 2020 UK leaves the European Union Jan 2020 Implementation period begins Jan 2020 UK–EU trade deal agreed Dec 2020 Future Relationship Act passed Dec 2020 Scottish Continuity Act passed Dec 2020 Implementation period ends Dec 2020 New EU–UK relationship begins Jan 2021 UK–EU trade deal ratified Apr 2021 Windsor Framework released Feb 2023 Windsor framework adopted Mar 2023 :
EU portal
UK portal :
vte :
Unite to Remain (Welsh: Uno i Aros) was a campaign and electoral pact during the 2019 United Kingdom general election. It involved three parties that supported remaining in the European Union: the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party of England and Wales, and, in Wales, Plaid Cymru. Its stated goal was to avoid the spoiler effect and maximise the number of MPs elected who would oppose Brexit.
In 49 constituencies in England and 11 in Wales, the pact led to only one of these parties standing a candidate. Of the 60 constituencies, 43 had Liberal Democrat candidates only, 10 had Green Party candidates only, and 7 had Plaid Cymru candidates only. The seats covered by the pact included some defended by a Unite to Remain party, as well as target seats held by the Conservative or Labour parties.
Nine Unite to Remain candidates were elected (5 Liberal Democrats, 3 Plaid Cymru, 1 Green), which represented one gain and one loss compared to the 2017 general election results.

## Details

Though there was no formal pact, the August 2019 Brecon and Radnorshire by-election saw the Greens and Plaid Cymru stand aside for the Liberal Democrat candidate Jane Dodds, who defeated the Conservative candidate by a small margin. This arrangement was mooted as being the basis for a wider-ranging "Remain Alliance".
The Unite to Remain group which brokered the pact was formed by the outgoing MP for South Cambridgeshire, Heidi Allen and former Liberal Democrat Treasurer Peter Dunphy in July 2019. The alliance approached the Labour party at an early stage, but were rebuffed. The Labour peer Jim Knight was one of the directors of Unite to Remain. The group was registered as a "non-party campaigner" with the Electoral Commission in November 2019.
Seats were selected based on a targeted pooling of resources and only with the consent of local parties. All the parties also support electoral reform. Liberal Democrat activists in constituencies where their party stood aside were encouraged to either campaign for the Unite to Remain candidate there, or to campaign in a nearby seat.
On 13 November 2019, Unite to Remain and the Renew Party announced that Renew would not contest any of the 60 Unite to Remain target seats.

## List of constituencies

Incumbents marked in italics did not stand for re-election in that constituency.
Darker rows indicate constituencies where the Unite to Remain party won the previous election (the 2017 general election or the 2019 Brecon and Radnorshire by-election). The pact also covers three seats where, during the 2017–2019 Parliament, incumbent MPs defected from other parties to the Liberal Democrats.
| Constituency | Country | Unite to Remain party | Unite to Remain candidate | Incumbent party | Incumbent | Result |
| Arfon | Wales | Plaid Cymru | Hywel Williams | Plaid Cymru | Hywel Williams | Elected |
| Bath | England | Liberal Democrats | Wera Hobhouse | Liberal Democrats | Wera Hobhouse | Elected |
| Bermondsey and Old Southwark | England | Liberal Democrats | Humaira Ali | Labour | Neil Coyle | Not elected |
| Brecon and Radnorshire | Wales | Liberal Democrats | Jane Dodds | Liberal Democrats | Jane Dodds | Not elected |
| Brighton Pavilion | England | Green | Caroline Lucas | Green | Caroline Lucas | Elected |
| Bristol West | England | Green | Carla Denyer | Labour | Thangam Debbonaire | Not elected |
| Buckingham | England | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Dorrell | Speaker | John Bercow | Not elected |
| Bury St Edmunds | England | Green | Helen Geake | Conservative | Jo Churchill | Not elected |
| Caerphilly | Wales | Plaid Cymru | Lindsay Whittle | Labour | Wayne David | Not elected |
| Cannock Chase | England | Green | Paul Woodhead | Conservative | Amanda Milling | Not elected |
| Cardiff Central | Wales | Liberal Democrats | Bablin Molik | Labour | Jo Stevens | Not elected |
| Carmarthen East and Dinefwr | Wales | Plaid Cymru | Jonathan Edwards | Plaid Cymru | Jonathan Edwards | Elected |
| Cheadle | England | Liberal Democrats | Tom Morrison | Conservative | Mary Robinson | Not elected |
| Chelmsford | England | Liberal Democrats | Marie Goldman | Conservative | Vicky Ford | Not elected |
| Chelsea and Fulham | England | Liberal Democrats | Nicola Horlick | Conservative | Greg Hands | Not elected |
| Cheltenham | England | Liberal Democrats | Max Wilkinson | Conservative | Alex Chalk | Not elected |
| Chippenham | England | Liberal Democrats | Helen Belcher | Conservative | Michelle Donelan | Not elected |
| Dulwich and West Norwood | England | Green | Jonathan Bartley | Labour | Helen Hayes | Not elected |
| Dwyfor Meirionnydd | Wales | Plaid Cymru | Liz Saville Roberts | Plaid Cymru | Liz Saville-Roberts | Elected |
| Esher and Walton | England | Liberal Democrats | Monica Harding | Conservative | Dominic Raab | Not elected |
| Exeter | England | Green | Joe Levy | Labour | Ben Bradshaw | Not elected |
| Finchley and Golders Green | England | Liberal Democrats | Luciana Berger | Conservative | Mike Freer | Not elected |
| Forest of Dean | England | Green | Chris McFarling | Conservative | Mark Harper | Not elected |
| Guildford | England | Liberal Democrats | Zöe Franklin | Independent won as Conservative | Anne Milton | Not elected |
| Harrogate and Knaresborough | England | Liberal Democrats | Judith Rogerson | Conservative | Andrew Jones | Not elected |
| Hazel Grove | England | Liberal Democrats | Lisa Smart | Conservative | William Wragg | Not elected |
| Hitchin and Harpenden | England | Liberal Democrats | Sam Collins | Conservative | Bim Afolami | Not elected |
| Isle of Wight | England | Green | Vix Lowthion | Conservative | Bob Seely | Not elected |
| Llanelli | Wales | Plaid Cymru | Mari Arthur | Labour | Nia Griffith | Not elected |
| Montgomeryshire | Wales | Liberal Democrats | Kishan Devani | Conservative | Glyn Davies | Not elected |
| North Cornwall | England | Liberal Democrats | Danny Chambers | Conservative | Scott Mann | Not elected |
| North Norfolk | England | Liberal Democrats | Karen Ward | Liberal Democrats | Norman Lamb | Not elected |
| Oxford West and Abingdon | England | Liberal Democrats | Layla Moran | Liberal Democrats | Layla Moran | Elected |
| Penistone and Stocksbridge | England | Liberal Democrats | Hannah Kitching | Liberal Democrats won as Labour | Angela Smith | Not elected |
| Pontypridd | Wales | Plaid Cymru | Fflur Elin | Labour | Owen Smith | Not elected |
| Portsmouth South | England | Liberal Democrats | Gerald Vernon-Jackson | Labour | Stephen Morgan | Not elected |
| Richmond Park | England | Liberal Democrats | Sarah Olney | Conservative | Zac Goldsmith | Elected |
| Romsey and Southampton North | England | Liberal Democrats | Craig Fletcher | Conservative | Caroline Nokes | Not elected |
| Rushcliffe | England | Liberal Democrats | Jason Billin | Independent won as Conservative | Kenneth Clarke | Not elected |
| Stroud | England | Green | Molly Scott Cato | Labour | David Drew | Not elected |
| South Cambridgeshire | England | Liberal Democrats | Ian Sollom | Liberal Democrats won as Conservative | Heidi Allen | Not elected |
| South East Cambridgeshire | England | Liberal Democrats | Pippa Heylings | Conservative | Lucy Frazer | Not elected |
| South West Surrey | England | Liberal Democrats | Paul Follows | Conservative | Jeremy Hunt | Not elected |
| Southport | England | Liberal Democrats | John Wright | Conservative | Damien Moore | Not elected |
| Taunton Deane | England | Liberal Democrats | Gideon Amos | Conservative | Rebecca Pow | Not elected |
| Thornbury and Yate | England | Liberal Democrats | Claire Young | Conservative | Luke Hall | Not elected |
| Totnes | England | Liberal Democrats | Sarah Wollaston | Liberal Democrats won as Conservative | Sarah Wollaston | Not elected |
| Tunbridge Wells | England | Liberal Democrats | Ben Chapelard | Conservative | Greg Clark | Not elected |
| Twickenham | England | Liberal Democrats | Munira Wilson | Liberal Democrats | Vince Cable | Elected |
| Wantage | England | Liberal Democrats | Richard Benwell | Conservative | Ed Vaizey | Not elected |
| Warrington South | England | Liberal Democrats | Ryan Bate | Labour | Faisal Rashid | Not elected |
| Westmorland and Lonsdale | England | Liberal Democrats | Tim Farron | Liberal Democrats | Tim Farron | Elected |
| Watford | England | Liberal Democrats | Ian Stotesbury | Conservative | Richard Harrington | Not elected |
| Wells | England | Liberal Democrats | Tessa Munt | Conservative | James Heappey | Not elected |
| Wimbledon | England | Liberal Democrats | Paul Kohler | Conservative | Stephen Hammond | Not elected |
| Winchester | England | Liberal Democrats | Paula Ferguson | Conservative | Steve Brine | Not elected |
| Witney | England | Liberal Democrats | Charlotte Hoagland | Conservative | Robert Courts | Not elected |
| Vale of Glamorgan | Wales | Green | Anthony Slaughter | Conservative | Alun Cairns | Not elected |
| York Outer | England | Liberal Democrats | Keith Aspden | Conservative | Julian Sturdy | Not elected |
| Ynys Môn | Wales | Plaid Cymru | Aled ap Dafydd | Labour | Albert Owen | Not elected |

## Pre-election analysis

Psephologist John Curtice stated that the pact could be critical in "half a dozen" seats that could have otherwise been won by the Conservatives.
An analysis published in the Financial Times attempted to evaluate the potential impact of the pact. This analysis applied uniform regional swing based on polling (as of early November) to the 2017 result to estimate the parties' standings in the seats before the pact, then assumed that voters for parties standing aside would transfer their support as per the pact. The analysis found that in 18 seats the Unite to Remain party would not need the pact in order to win, in 39 the pact would be insufficient to secure victory, and in two (Brecon and Radnorshire and Winchester) the pact would make the critical difference between winning and losing for the Unite to Remain party.

## Other pro-Remain arrangements

In addition to the Unite to Remain pact, the Liberal Democrats did not stand candidates against the following anti-Brexit or "soft Brexit" supporting incumbents:
* Dominic Grieve (independent), Beaconsfield
* Gavin Shuker (independent), Luton South
* Anna Soubry (The Independent Group for Change), Broxtowe
All failed to be elected.
In Canterbury, the original Liberal Democrat candidate (Tim Walker) stood down in aid of the Labour incumbent Rosie Duffield, but the Lib Dems stood a replacement candidate. Duffield retained her seat.
In Northern Ireland, Sinn Féin, the SDLP and the Green Party in Northern Ireland all stood aside in certain constituencies to increase the chances of anti-Brexit candidates.