Grant Shapps hit out at Labour for picking a parliamentary hopeful who does not believe in “properly defending our country”.
The Defence Secretary said the decision to select Genevieve Kitchen, who called for a ban on nuclear weapons, to fight the Wellingborough by-election shows Labour “never change their colours”.
Ms Kitchen also backed open borders and wanted a second referendum on Brexit when she was a councillor in London.
Mr Shapps said the party had a long track record of being weak on defence.
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He said: “The problem with the Labour Party is they never change their colours."
Grant Shapps warns Labour is weak on defence of nation (Image: Getty)
The Defence Secretary added: “Keir Starmer is a man whose shadow foreign secretary voted against the renewal of Trident so it’s no surprise they have selected a candidate in Wellingborough who also doesn’t believe in properly defending our country.
“Sir Keir, of course, is the man who twice supported Jeremy Corbyn to be leader of the Labour Party – a leader who doesn’t believe in the nuclear deterrent, wants to disband Nato, wants to sit down and negotiate with terrorists and would have failed to defend our country.
“We have a plan to defend ourselves and our allies in a more dangerous world.
Sir Keir Starmer can’t say how he would defend the nation because he has no plan."
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A Labour spokesman said: "This is a five year old letter - Gen and Labour are focussed on facing the future, and making Brexit work. We absolutely will not rejoin the EU, the single market or the customs union.
"Gen’s focus is on improving the lives of Wellingborough locals after 14 years of Tory neglect. She wants to regenerate our town centres, work to reduce knife crime and improve access to GP and Dentist appointments – the issues that come up day in and day out on the doors.”
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