The Daily Mail has baffled the British public by tellings its readers to ditch Tory candidates in tomorrow’s election in favour of supporting Lib Dem and Green Party politicians.
The right-wing paper - which has staunchly supported Theresa May - on Wednesday produced a tactical voting guide, identifying 75 seats that could “swing the election” and keep Jeremy Corbyn out of Number 10.
Using Brexit negotiations as motivation, the paper encouraged UKIP supporters to vote blue in seats like Bradford South and Hartlepool and called on Labour-supporting Brexiteers to back the Conservative party in Bridgend and Chorley.
But in eight constituencies, the Mail surprisingly asked voters to forget Tory candidates altogether, telling them to “hold their noses and vote for a minority party to keep Labour out”.
“In these eight seats, the Tory candidate has little hope of victory,” the guide reads.
“So the best chance of keeping the Conservatives in power nationally is to vote for a third party in order to deny Labour the seat.”
According to the tabloid, voters in Sheffield Hallam should even vote for former Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg, despite their “mixed feelings” about the coalition years.
Tory supporters in Cambridge, Burnley, Bermondsey and Old Southwark and Cardiff Central should also vote yellow over blue, the guide suggests.
Meanwhile, voters in Bristol West should vote for the Green candidate, while those in Arfon and Ynys Mon should opt for Plaid Cymru.
The Daily Mail’s advice caused shock among many Twitter users, with some suggesting “hell has clearly frozen over”:
Others pointed out that the paper has been much less positive about tactical voting in recent times:
The guide to prevent a Labour majority comes on the same day the Daily Mail’s front page called Corbyn, Diane Abbot and shadow chancellor John McDonnell “unashamed apologists for terror”.
The tabloid accused the “troika” of devoting their lives to “befriending the enemies of Britain while undermining the very institutions which keep us safe in our beds”.
The Sun, Daily Express and The Telegraph also produced similar splashes linking Corbyn to extremists in what Labour supporters have described as an attempt to “smear” the PM hopeful.