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'We scared him away': Brexit Party candidate's decision to quit welcomed by Tories and Labour

Both Labour and the Tories have welcomed the decision of a Brexit Party candidate to stand down in a key marginal seat.

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Conservative candidate for Dudley North, Marco Longhi

Rupert Lowe pulled out of standing in Dudley North at the eleventh hour, saying he feared his candidacy could lead to Labour retaining the seat.

He followed the lead of former Labour MP Ian Austin, who stood down from the seat last week and endorsed the Tories.

The move has been widely seen as a boost for the Conservatives, who are hoping to monopolise the Leave vote in an area which is overwhelmingly pro-Brexit.

Melanie Dudley is the Labour candidate in Dudley North

Responding to Mr Lowe's decision, Conservative candidate Marco Longhi said they had both "put country before party".

"This is good news for the people of Dudley who now have a clear choice: if you vote Conservative you are voting for Brexit," he added.

"A vote for any other party is a vote for Remain, delay and confusion."

However, Labour candidate Melanie Dudley, said Mr Lowe's decision showed he was "scared" of the Labour threat.

She said: "He says he has done it to stop me getting elected. Four days into our campaign we scared him away. Things are going well me thinks."