THE Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Thirsk and Malton has been described as “desperate and weak” by his Tory counterpart after calling for tactical voting to beat her.

The traditionally Conservative area will go to the polls two weeks after the rest of the country following the death of UKIP candidate John Boakes last month.

With both David Cameron and Gordon Brown hoping to make a deal with the Liberal Democrats, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate Howard Keal said the battle for Thirsk and Malton was “hugely important”.

He said: “What I need to take the seat is for Labour voters to vote tactically and for disgruntled Conservative voters to come over to me.

“I know there are disgruntled Conservatives and I offer the opportunity to give them an alternative voice.

“It now becomes a national as well as a local battleground and there’s everything to play for over the next three weeks.

“I don’t know when we will see key party figures up here on the campaign trail, but what I do know is that there will be a huge amount of interest and a lot of the main figures will want to lend all the support they are able to.”

Anne McIntosh, the former MP for the old Vale of York seat, who will go up against Mr Keal on May 27, said she would be asking constituents to make a positive vote for herself and the Conservative Party.

She said: “Mr Keal is standing on a platform of introducing the euro and having road pricing introduced in to Yorkshire.

“Calling for tactical voting is a sign of desperation and weakness.

“I can understand he is feeling very raw. His party regrettably didn’t perform as they would have liked in the election – we have won back Harrogate and Knaresborough and Stockton South.

“But I take nothing for granted, I will be renewing my campaign with vigour.”

On the prospect of the Conservatives sharing power nationally with the Lib Dems, Ms McIntosh said that was a matter for the party leaders and that she would be concentrating on how best to help the residents of Malton, Filey and Thirsk.