‘Lifelong Tory voter’ now backing Starmer uncovered as Labour councillor
A Labour candidate’s boast at winning the support of a ‘lifelong Tory voter’ has been branded ‘deceitful’ after they were exposed as one of the party’s local councillors.
Dr Simon Opher, who is Labour’s general election candidate in Stroud, hailed how a woman called Milly had ditched the Conservatives to support his campaign.
In a video posted by Dr Opher on X, formerly known as Twitter, Milly described herself as having been a ‘centrist Conservative all my life’.
She explained how she was now backing Labour and Dr Opher ahead of the general election on 4 July.
But it was swiftly revealed that she is actually Milly Hill, who was elected as a Labour councillor on Stroud District Council at this month’s local elections.
When challenged about the video, Ms Hill told MailOnline she last voted Conservative when the party was led by David Cameron.
And she admitted she had backed former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn at the 2019 general election.
Dr Simon Opher, who is Labour’s general election candidate in Stroud, hailed how a woman called Milly had ditched the Conservatives to support his campaign
But it was swiftly revealed that she is actually Milly Hill, who was elected as a Labour councillor on Stroud District Council at this month’s local elections
Ms Hill admitted to MailOnline she had backed former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn at the 2019 general election
Stroud is set to be among the key battlegrounds between Labour and the Conservatives at the 4 July general election.
The Tories won the Gloucestershire seat with a majority of less than 4,000 votes in 2019.
In a post on X, Dr Opher wrote: ‘People like Milly are voting for change. Will you join them?’
He also shared a video of Ms Hill explaining why she was backing Labour, in which she said: ‘I’ve been a centrist Conservative all my life but I think the party has really changed. And I think the last 14 years has done a real damage to the country.
‘So I’ve been looking at Labour and I think they’ve got some very exciting policies on the economy, the NHS, mental health issues, green energy – lots of things I care about, even potholes.
‘Having met Simon Opher, who’s the local GP and worked here for 30 years, he really understands this community and I think he’d make a great MP for Stroud.
‘So for the first time in a really long time I’m optimistic and excited to vote in a general election.’
Ms Hill was subsequently revealed to be a local Labour councillor for the Cam East ward on Stroud District Council by the Guido Fawkes website.
Asked why she made no reference to this fact in the video of her posted by Dr Opher, Ms Hill told MailOnline: ‘Somebody just pointed that out to me this afternoon and I’ve just made another video pointing out that I am now a very recently elected Labour councillor.’
Challenged about her claim to be a ‘centrist Conservative all my life’, she explained: ‘I last voted for the Conservatives under David Cameron.
Ms Hill added: ‘I voted for Labour with Jeremy Corbyn in 2019.’
Social media users quizzed Dr Opher about the video he posted of Ms Hill, with one commenting: ‘That would be Milly Hill, Labour Councillor for Cam East would it? Is that the best you’ve got? Shoddy work.’
Another added: ‘This is a Labour councillor! Simon, it’s astounding that you have the audacity to ask people to vote for you when you are quite happy to be so blatantly deceitful during the campaign.
‘Is this what Stroud constituents can expect from you as an MP? Utterly disgraceful.’
