Former Liberal Democrat peer Lord Oakeshott, an ally of business secretary Vince Cable, is helping Labour campaign against Nigel Farage in South Thanet.
The independent member of the House of Lords is campaigning for tactical voting in favour of Labour candidate Will Scobie in South Thanet, where Nigel Farage is fighting a three-way battle to get into parliament for the seaside Kent seat.
Oakeshott, who now describes himself as a "non-party social democrat", also went out knocking on doors with Scobie's campaign team to try to drum up votes. The peer quit the Lib Dems last May when it emerged he had commissioned secret polls that undermined leader Nick Clegg.
But he broke his silence to give a rallying speech to Labour campaigners in Scobie's Ramsgate campaign office. Scobie is among 30 Labour candidates across the country who were given £10,000 each by Oakeshott in January to fund their election campaigns.
The peer also handed a total of £300,000 to 15 left-of-centre Lib Dem candidates and £10,000 to Green candidate Caroline Lucas.
In his speech, Oakeshott said: "South Thanet's a tight three-way fight, as the opinion polls and betting odds show.
"Voters have three options: a) Nigel Farage's bitter brew, b) the non-alcoholic UKIP-lite version from the Conservative candidate Craig Mackinlay – an ex-leader and deputy leader of UKIP and twice UKIP candidate for Gillingham – or c) progressive, local Will Scobie for Labour.
"I'm calling on all Liberal Democrat, Green, moderate Conservative, and progressive voters in South Thanet to unite behind Scobie – if they do, Will will win."