THE Liberal Democrats have reselected David Grace to fight for the Clacton seat in the upcoming General Election.

Despite the Tendring district voting 69.5 per cent in favour of leaving the EU last year, Mr Grace said one of his priorities is to call for another referendum.

He said: "We are saying there should be, when there is a deal with the EU, another referendum.

"I sense a lot of anger in Clacton - there are not enough doctors or police, there have been cuts to eduction and the NHS.

"There is been a long list of things that Clacton people have had to cope with.

"But people have been lied to - voting to leave the EU will not solve these problems.

"In the long-term things will get harder and a lot of these problems will get worse - we at least need to stay in the single market.

"I've never been one to say people were stupid for voting one way or another, but I feel people were lied to and they should be allowed to see what the consequences of the EU vote would be.

"I don't think people voted for what Theresa May is suggesting, which is a hard Brexit."

He added that in the short-term leaving the EU would hit the value of the pound, which he said would hurt the poorest hardest.

Mr Grace, who was confirmed as the Liberal Candidate this week, came last in the 2015 election after gaining just 812 votes.

"We did come last, but I was the only Liberal Democrat in 2015 to almost double the Lib Dem vote.

"I'm hoping that I can improve it again."

Mr Grace was born in Leigh-on-Sea and studied economics and history at Cambridge University, where he was elected president of the Cambridge Union debating society.

He has worked in the private, public and voluntary sectors, as a lawyer, a software developer, an investigator for the Local Government Ombudsman and as a campaigner for regional development and environmental conservation.

Mr Grace currently runs the James Madison Trust, an educational charity, and the Social Liberal Forum.

The other confirmed candidate for the Clacton seat include Conservative Giles Watling, Labour's Natasha Osben, Ukip's Paul Oakley, the Green Party’s Chris Southall and independent Caroline Shearer.