A LABOUR candidate urged Scots to vote Conservative in the General Election, The National can reveal.

Scotland in Union, which was until Wednesday led by Labour candidate Pamela Nash, has launched an anti-SNP tactical voting guide for Scots.

It encourages them to back Rishi Sunak’s party in every seat currently held by the Tories north of the Border.

Voters in Banff, Dumfries, Dumfriesshire, Berwickshire, West Aberdeenshire and the new Moray, Nairn and Strathspey constituencies are all encouraged to “vote Conservative to stop the SNP”.

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The tactical voting guide, unveiled by Scotland in Union two days after Nash left as chief executive, also encourages people in the new Mid Dunbartonshire seat to back the LibDems.

Nash is Labour’s candidate in Motherwell, Wishaw and Carluke and previously served as the MP for Airdrie and Shotts between 2010 and 2015.  

Labour’s official rules bar its members from “supporting financially” other parties but make no mention of backing rival organisations for the purposes of tactical voting.

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But the revelation comes amid a chaotic start to Labour’s election campaign, with party leader Keir Starmer (above) accused of purging left-wingers while parachuting his allies into safe seats.

The row over Diane Abbott’s ability to run as a Labour candidate has overshadowed the party’s first week on the campaign trail, but Starmer attempted to put the issue to bed on Friday by inviting Abbott to stand.

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While it is not against Labour’s rules for candidates to back rival parties in other seats, Faiza Shaheen said that liking tweets by the Green Party was part of the reason she was removed as a candidate in London.

She said she had also liked tweets criticising Israel which party officials told her were “damaging Labour’s electoral chances”.

The National:

Marion Fellows (above), who is hoping to retain her seat for the SNP, said: “It’s further proof that even Labour candidates think that there’s no difference between them and the Tories anymore.

“A vote for Labour just means more Tory austerity.

“People in Motherwell, Wishaw and Carluke need a change from the reckless policies of the past 14 years with independence and the SNP, not more of the same from the Tories and Labour.”

A spokesperson for Scotland in Union said: "Our tactical voting recommendation decisions were not made by Pamela Nash."