Outrage over Lib Dem candidate dubbing Brexit voters ‘racist bigots’ in unearthed rant

Brexit voters are “racist” and should be put “firmly back in the box where they belong”, the Lib Dem running against Steve Barclay claimed in “sneering” social media rants uncovered by the Daily Express.

David Chalmers also said he had “no friends who voted Leave” and wanted “nothing to do with people of that kind” in the resurfaced diatribes.

He also rejoiced in the “best piece of news” that Boris Johnson’s political career was “ending in tatters” when Michael Gove infamously stabbed the old Etonian in the back with a surprise Tory leadership bid after they won the Brexit campaign in 2016.

It comes after the Lib Dems revealed plans to drag the UK back into the EU's orbit in their General Election manifesto launched this week.

And the party's candidate hoping to oust the Environment Secretary in his North East Cambridgeshire constituency compared reversing Brexit to stopping “the Nazis in Germany” in another unearthed tirade.

But Mr Barclay has hit back at his Lib Dem rival and launched a robust defence of the UK's decision to vote to leave the EU and his record in Government.

He told the Express: “I backed leave in the EU referendum and was proud, as Brexit Secretary, to sign the Brexit deal that finally ended our EU membership.

“As Defra Secretary, I’ve made sure we’ve used our Brexit freedoms to back British farmers with tailor-made support schemes.

“We need to make the most of our new-found independence and the opportunities created by Brexit to give this country a great future.”

Mr Chalmers did apologise for the “use of any language that has caused offence” when the comments first came to light in 2019, saying: “All elected representatives and those that contest those positions have a responsibility to ensure that the tone of our public discourse is respectful and use appropriate language.”

But the unearthed Facebook posts have raised questions about his suitability to run as a candidate in former Brexit Secretary Mr Barclay’s constituency, which is a 70% Leave-backing seat.

Staunch Brexiteer Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg said: “It shows contempt for voters and is a reminder that the holier than thou LibDems are neither liberal nor democratic.”

Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan-Smith said: “That he has been picked to fight for the Liberal Democrats, tells you all you need to know about the nasty and bigoted views they hold.”

Meanwhile Conservative Laura Weldon described the remarks as “dehumanising”.

The Tory candidate for Pontefract, Castleford, Knottingley and Altofts went on to urge Mr Chalmers to engage with voters rather than “call them names”.

She said: “People who voted Leave did so for a variety of reasons.

“I know in my area that heavily voted to leave immigration was a factor, but perhaps instead of just calling people names people like David could try and have a conversation about what’s really behind those concerns.”

A local Tory campaign source said: “North East Cambridgeshire needs an MP who will stand up for local people, not a candidate parachuted in from Letchworth Garden City who does not understand the area.

“Out-of-touch sneering like this is best kept to Lib Dem dinner parties.”

Mr Chalmers has deleted many of his Facebook rants – but local campaigners kept a record of his outrageous posts.

In the now-deleted comments, Mr Chalmers told his Facebook followers that anyone he knew “coming out in support of the Leave camp” was a “narrow-minded xenophobic bigot”, and that Brexit was a chance to “put the narrow-minded xenophobic bigots firmly back in the box where they belong”.

The Remainer admitted: “I have no friends who voted to leave – I want nothing to do with people of that kind.”

He said he would “have dealings” with Leave voters but “would not want to class them as friends” because they stood alongside “racists and xenophobes” and “friendship is something built on respect and common basic values which I would not share with anyone who voted to leave”.

The Liberal Democrat candidate claimed: “Every racist will be voting for Brexit – we will be judged by the friends we keep.”

Sir Ed Davey’s candidate also said that elderly Leave voters were “brainwashed” and that “unfortunately there is no reasoning with most old people and I am frankly quite shocked by their selfishness”.

He claimed that “especially for the men they see this as their last ditch attempt to wrestle back the clock and regain their power that the 21st century has taken away from”.

Mr Chalmers compared Brexit to Nazi Germany, saying: “We have to stop this – just as we stopped the Nazis in Germany and their sympathisers.”

The Liberal Democrat also said “I just hope that those people who voted for Brexit are squirming with shame and guilt tonight as it dawns on them what they have done” and claimed Brexit-supporting politicians “lied and stoked hatred and racism across this country”, while praising civil servants trying to block Brexit.

Mr Chalmers was approached for comment.