CHANGE UK’s top candidate in Scotland for the European elections announced yesterday that he is scrapping his campaign and said pro-EU voters should instead back the Scottish Lib Dems.

David Macdonald wrote to Change UK MP Anna Soubry – formerly of the Conservatives – to say that he does not believe his party could compete against the Lib Dems.

ChangeUK is trailing behind all parties except Ukip in this week’s YouGov poll of voters’ intentions for the Euro elections.

Change UK’s Chuka Umunna said it was “disappointing that this candidate has chosen to pledge allegiance to another party – he has let down his fellow candidates and activists,” having left Labour in February to pledge allegiance to another party and let down his fellow MPs, activists and constituents.

In April Joseph Russo – who was then Change UK Scotland’s top candidate for the European Parliament elections next week – stood down after just one day over offensive historic tweets.

In 2012 he had tweeted that he was “scared of black women” after he was chased through Amsterdam “by a crazed black whore.”