THE Labour party’s bid to secure the Warrington South seat has received a major boost after a £10,000 cash injection from a former Liberal Democrat peer.

Lord Oakeshott has backed parliamentary candidate Nick Bent by giving the funds to Labour’s election campaign in the area.

As well as the funding, Lord Oakeshott has also urged Liberal Democrat supporters to vote Labour to prevent what he believes will be another five years of a Conservative government.

Mr Bent has praised the move and believes the battle between Labour and the Conservative party in Westminster reflects that of Warrington South.

“It is brilliant to have a prominent Liberal Democrat make a donation of this scale to my campaign,” he said.

“We are working hard on a positive campaign to show people the real difference that a Labour government would make to thousands of hardworking families in Warrington.

“This money will help to get rid of a Tory government that only cares about the privileged few.”

Prospective Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate, Cllr Bob Barr, has labelled Lord Oakeshott a ‘political fixer’ and slammed Mr Bent’s view that the Warrington South constituency has a two-horse race on its hands.

"Warrington needs an election campaign that focuses on the needs of the town - the choice is between a Liberal Democrat candidate with deep seated roots in the town and two Westminster insiders now being backed by millionaire political fixers,” he said.

“Lord Oakeshott is a prominent millionaire fixer whose expensive hobby is meddling in politics. While appointed to the Lords as a Liberal Democrat peer, his plotting within the party led to his resignation before he was expelled.

“The Labour candidate, a Westminster insider whose previous career was as a special adviser to Labour ministers in the Tony Blair, Gordon Brown days, blames the Liberal Democrats for losing the seat in 2005.

“He will not face up to the fact that Warrington South is a three way marginal constituency.

“I trust that Warrington South voters will show their votes cannot be bought with money from millionaire Lords but will opt for the local candidate whose principal ambition is to represent Warrington and fight for a fair deal for the town."