Grant Shapps on Rochester and Strood by-election

The Conservative chairman said his party was "absolutely not" involved in a smear campaign with calls from fake political pollsters, against a former Tory MP who defected to UKIP.

Grant Shapps said Mark Reckless should should come forward with evidence of the claim made in a Sunday Politics film about the Rochester and Strood campaign.

He was speaking to Andrew Neil about the Kent by-election next month, where the prime minister plans to visit five times. The Tories will announce their candidate this week after an open primary.

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