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Jo Swinson is facing a backlash in the grassroots of the Liberal Democrats after choosing to stand a new candidate against a pro-Remain Labour choice in a marginal seat.

On Tuesday evening, Lib Dem candidate Tim Walker decided to withdraw from the race to win Canterbury, out of fear he would split Remain supporting voters and push out Rosie Duffield.

Ms Duffield is the Labour candidate, who won the seat narrowly in 2017 by just 200 votes.

Mr Walker said he wanted "no part" in allowing a Brexit-supporting Conservative to win the seat.

But despite his party forming many pacts with other Remain supporting candidates in seats across the UK, Ms Swinson has insisted the Lib Dems will field a new candidate for the marginal Kent seat.

It has led to another candidate today threatening to withdraw and even quit the party if Ms Swinson doesn't change her mind.

Guy Kiddey, standing in High Peak, said in a statement he had heard the Lib Dems would be taking disciplinary action against Mr Walker. That has not been confirmed by the party, and Mr Walker said he has not heard anything.

Mr Kiddey said: "I was, and am, appalled at this response. So is my former election agent, who has resigned from the Lib Dems. This means I am, in the absence of a replacement, not legally able to stand as a candidate in High Peak in the coming election, as I do not wish to be my own agent.

"I will not seek this replacement unless the party retracts its implicit threat to candidates, drops its intended disciplinary proceedings against Mr Walker and apologises unreservedly. I doubt it will, in which case I too will stand down and resign my membership and I will vote Labour."

Speaking at an event in North London, where the Lib Dems were hoping to talk more about their plans to tackle knife crime, Ms Swinson told Sky News: "We will be standing seats everywhere apart from where we have reached those agreements with Remain parties or those candidates who have taken that brave step of making a stand to stop Brexit.

"As Liberal Democrats that is the right thing for us to do.

"Of course we will continue to work with people where we agree with them on particular issues, but we need to make sure at this election people have the chance to vote to stop Brexit."

The Lib Dems are part of a multi-party pact with Plaid Cymru and the Greens called Unite to Remain. In several seats across the country they or the others have stood aside to run one candidate on a Remain ticket.

Labour has not been part of the deals and leadership has made it clear they will not form alliances will any party.

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Mr Walker told Sky News: "I had to make a decision. We had a complicated and unique situation.

"I had lost the dressing room. The local party was not 100% behind me, possibly not even 40-50% behind me. I was up against a very principled candidate who happens to have Jeremy Corbyn as her leader.

"I made the decision in spite of Corbyn not because of him."

He went on to explain that he is completely aligned with Ms Duffield on Brexi, and that her winning the "traditionally very safe Tory" seat of Canterbury in 2017 had been an "extraordinary turn of events".

He said: "My party is a Remain party but we are against an extreme Brexiteer (in the Conservative candidate).

"I don't believe Canterbury want that, so I had to allow my conscience to tell me what to do.

"What kept me awake at night was the idea of me at the count with a tearful Rosie Duffield while the Tory yelps with joy."

The response from supporters and voters across social media has been mixed.

David Clark, a former adviser to Robin Cook, tweeted: "Labour are not a Remain party, but if the Lib Dems can't see the need for Labour to win the seats they hold, they are not a Remain party either. Not in any sincere sense.

"My plan to vote for them tactically is now under review."

A Lib Dem spokesman said: "We will be announcing a candidate in due course to contest the seat of Canterbury. The Liberal Democrats are committed to stopping Brexit and building a brighter future."

Kent Online reported Claire Malcolmson, a current councillor in Mole Valley, Surrey, had been lined up to fight the seat.

After Mr Walker made his decision, Ms Duffield tweeted: "Tim has been a gracious, respectful candidate throughout this campaign. The choice for voters in #Canterbury is now clear; a local candidate who supports a People's Vote and defends our public services, or a Brexiteer who supports Johnson's hard right Tory agenda."

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