Meet the honest Lib Dem candidate who explicitly advises voting Conservative if you want Labour out of government

Meet Tom Holvey, the Lib Dem candidate for the newly-drawn North Yorkshire constituency of Selby and Ainsty, where the Lib Dems notionally trail in a poor third place (and although the old Selby seat had a Labour MP, the new boundaries make it notionally Conservative, with the excellent Nigel Adams wearing the blue rosette).

One of the voters in the constituency emailed Mr Holvey seeking his position on a number of issues and expressing his desire to see a change from the "ineptitude from the current government".

I have seen the exchange of emails and quote here part of the extraordinary reply from Mr Holvey:

"We clearly disagree on our policies and interpretation, mine and the Lib Dems clear position on state spending is that it does need to be cut, but not at the moment, which would cause job losses in the public sector, which could then work through the economy and put recovery at risk."

"From your emails you are clearly very keen on change from this current government, living in this constiutency (sic) then I would say that if all you want is Labour out then you should vote Tory for that to happen."

I say this is extraordinary, since it is a rare moment of candour and honesty from a Lib Dem candidate during this campaign, when so many of his fellow travellers have been trying to perpetuate the myth that their party can deliver change from Gordon Brown's Labour Government.

Jonathan Isaby