Former Oxfordshire MP Shaun Woodward has been attacked by Tories in his new constituency of St Helen's, Merseyside, for hypocrisy.

The Conservative candidate has quoted Mr Woodward's comments on Labour, to whom he defected when he was Tory MP for Witney as an opposition front bencher.

Lee Rotherham, who is from Merseyside, is hoping to prevent Mr Woodward from holding on to the safe Labour seat in the June 7 General Election.

The one-time head of Tory communications, who helped mastermind John Major's 1992 General Election victory, was selected as Labour's St Helen's South candidate after MP Gerry Bermingham stood down at the last minute.

This allowed Labour's central office to dictate the shortlist.

In a leaflet, Mr Rotherham said that Mr Woodward was "dumped" on the constituency by Tony Blair after union barons bowed to the Prime Minister and all local opponents were taken off the short-list.

Mr Rotherham's leaflet claims: "Woodward admitted that he visited St Helen's for the first time four days before the selection meeting." The leaflet quotes Mr Woodward in his Witney Tory days describing Labour as the party of "broken promises and distorted priorities".

It claims he used to say to Tory friends "even my butler has a butler" and that in one press release he warned: "Labour's policies will hit the poorest hardest of all".

It also quotes Mr Woodward as saying the Labour Government were "ambitious for power and ambitious to get their hands on other people's money."

It says that in 1999 he said: "The Government promised to make things better - but if you are old, disabled, use a library or go to school you will be worse off.

"You will pay more in council tax, but get poorer social services. The Government has failed to honour their pledges and it simply isn't good enough."

The leaflet pictures Mr Woodward in front of his Oxfordshire mansion.

It adds: "Local people are already asking whether Shaun Woodward will be bringing his butler and his chauffeur to help him campaign."