Ukip will oppose "big Remainer" Neil O'Brien in Harborough

Yesterday I blogged about the difficulty in finding out about the politics of Neil O'Brien, the new Conservative candidate for Harborough.

But Ukip think they know all about him. The party is fighting only three of Leicestershire's ten seats on 8 June, says the Leicester Mercury, but Harborough is one of them.

Why?

In the words of David Sprason, Ukip's national welfare spokesman and defeated county councillor:

"The Tories have picked a big Remainer for Harborough so we'll stand there. They also begged us not to stand in Leicester West because it would help them beat Liz Kendall but we are fighting that one."

Ukip will also be putting a candidate up against Alan Duncan in Rutland and Melton.

The fact that they are standing in Leicester West just to spite the Tories suggests that relations between the Tories and what is left of Ukip will not be cordial.

Still, if Neil O'Brien is a big Remainer - like Sir Edward Garnier before him - that is good news.