This morning, PoliticsHome reported that Labour frontbenchers have been told not to bother campaigning in the upcoming Tiverton & Honiton by-election to make way for the LibDems. Instead, Labour is allegedly focusing all their efforts on Wakefield. Obviously this makes sense; Tiverton & Honiton is a southern key marginal for the LibDems, and Wakefield is up in the Red Wall. Step aside for the other party to increase the odds of beating the Tories…

Still, both Labour and the LibDems continue to insist there’s no pact, no agreement, no nothing. It’s all to play for, apparently. Earlier this month, Starmer claimed the Tories were “spraying any mud that they can” in even suggesting otherwise:

“There’s no pact. We’re actually fielding more candidates I think, than we’ve fielded for five or so years across the whole of the United Kingdom…”

Yet today Labour sources claim the party is “soft pedalling” Tiverton & Honiton to save campaign resources. Guido hears the LibDems are doing exactly the same up in Wakefield. A source even tells Guido that at least one senior LibDem councillor for Wakefield was spotted in Tiverton over the weekend. Wakefield’s by-election is on the same day as Tiverton & Honiton’s. Some are still allegedly finding time to make the trip down to Devon, though…