CONSERVATIVE election candidate Flick Drummond has criticised a Lib Dem councillor for an alleged lack of transparency in his letter to voters.

George Baker, the former Labour candidate in the 2019 general election, urged Labour voters to support his current party's candidate, Danny Chambers.

Mr Baker stood for Labour in Winchester in the 2019 general election, finishing third, but does not mention his current role as an Eastleigh borough councillor for the Liberal Democrats in the letter.

READ MORE: Labour choose disabled man George Baker to contest Winchester and Chandler's Ford at General Election

George Baker has muscular dystrophy (Image: George Baker)

He was elected to his current post in May 2023 after switching allegiance.

The letter, which was posted through the letterboxes of Chandler’s Ford residents, read as follows: “At the last election, I stood for the Labour Party as their candidate to be the MP in Winchester and the Conservatives beat the Lib Dems by just 985 votes, I came third. Now I’m backing Liberal Democrat Danny Chambers to beat the Conservatives and win here.”

Flick Drummond, the Conservative candidate for Winchester, told the Chronicle this was a sign of the Liberal Democrats' weakness. 

She commented: "Any political party that tries to obtain the votes of other parties through tactical voting is a weak party.

"If the Lib Dems had confidence in their policies, leader and manifesto, they would not need to ask for people to lend them their vote.

"That it clearly doesn't have that confidence here in Hampshire speaks volumes and I thank this Lib Dem councillor for pointing it out so succinctly."

In spite of Ms Drummond's comments, many polls are predicting that the Lib Dems will take the Winchester constituency.

Mr Baker was born with congenital muscular dystrophy and places an emphasis on services and benefits for the most vulnerable in society.

When contacted on the issue by the Chronicle, Mr Baker issued this statement: “I left the Labour Party a few years ago and joined the Liberal Democrats. I was elected to Chandler’s Ford Parish Council in May 2022 and Eastleigh Borough Council in May 2023.

“I’m a firm Lib Dem for many reasons, but the biggest is probably our strong focus on the NHS and social care. This focus has the potential to bring significant positive change to Hampshire and the country in general.

“We can send Liberal Democrat MPs to Parliament who will champion this cause. We are the only party able to unseat the Conservatives in Eastleigh and Winchester. I personally know both candidates, Danny Chambers and Liz Jarvis, and am convinced they will give our constituents the change we need.”