Sir Keir Starmer, 59, suggested the Labour Party could hold back resources in key Liberal Democrat target seats in a bid to deny the Conservatives from winning a majority of constituencies at the next general election. The news comes after Sir Ed Davey, 55, celebrated the Liberal Democrats second by-election win in a once-safe Tory seat last week when they overturned a 22,949 majority to take the Brexit-backing seat by 5,925 votes.

       The other victory came in June after the Liberal Democrat leader claimed an orange hammer had knocked a blue brick out of the so-called Blue Wall in the Chesham & Amersham by-election.

       But Starmer, who succeeded 72-year-old Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader in April 2020, appeared to rule out any proposals the two parties could enter into a so-called 'progressive alliance', which is often considered to also include the Green Party.

       A report called Breaching the Blue Wall by think tank UK in a Changing Europe found votes cast for the three progressive parties outnumbered those received by Tory and Brexit Party candidates in 41 seats at the last election, with Labour notionally taking 24 and the Liberal Democrats gaining 17.

       But the Liberal Democrats appear to have set their sights on making even more significant inroads into the Tory heartlands.

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       Following their victory in North Shropshire, the Liberal Democrats warned the Tories they could take up to 57 Conservative constituencies if there was a national swing just half the size of the one seen in the by-election contest.

       However, the study also indicated tactical voting on the right between those who voted to 'Get Brexit Done' or backed Nigel Farage, 57, in 2019 could cost Labour 13 seats, including 11 Tory gains and two for the Brexit Party.

       Speaking to ex-Labour advisor Ayesha Hazarika, 46, on Times Radio, Sir Keir Starmer said: "I do think we should have a Labour candidate that people can vote for wherever they live, and depriving them of that is not the right thing to do."

       The Holborn & St Pancras MP also suggested Labour could stand back in seats the party does not have a realistic chance of taking from the Tories.

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       Starmer said: "Chesham & Amersham, North Shropshire are not on my list of target seats.

       "Am I pleased to see the Tories upended there? Yes, I am."

       Labour has now registered leads in 19 consecutive opinion polls.

       YouGov's most recent opinion poll gave Starmer's party a six-point lead over the Tories with Mr Johnson's party dipping to their lowest point since the 2019 General Election on 30 percent and Labour on 36 percent.

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       The Liberal Democrats appear to have had a by-election bounce as they find themselves with the highest level of support since Mr Johnson's thumping majority on 12 percent.

       The Green Party, who have made a series of local gains at the expense of the Tories, registered six percent of the vote and the rebranded Brexit Party, known as Reform UK, are on 5 percent.

       Reform leader Richard Tice, 57, appeared to take a chunk of the Conservative vote in the Old Bexley & Sidcup by-election even though the Tories managed to hold on.