Dominic Raab pulled out of an election hustings last night after claiming another candidate likened government cuts to persecution by the Nazis.

During another Esher and Walton constituency hustings last week Della Reynolds, the Independent Citizen Candidate, replied to a question about foodbanks in Elmbridge by adapting a poem by Martin Niemoller, the anti-Nazi Lutheran pastor. 

The original poem reads: "First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Socialist. 

"Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Trade Unionist."

Ms Reynolds is said to have replaced "Socialist" and "Trade Unionist" with "poor and disabled" and "immigrants".

Mr Raab's father fled the Nazis and came to Britain with his parents, but other family members did not escape.

The final hustings event for the Esher and Walton constituency took place at St Andrew’s Church, Oakshade Road, Oxshott, last night [April 30], but Mr Raab announced on his blog prior to the event that he would not attend due to Ms Reynolds’ previous comments.

He said: "These unsavoury statements cross the line of decency in debate. I'm not prepared to have myself, my party or my volunteers likened to Nazis. 

"Without an apology, I am not willing to share the platform with Della.

"She is of course free to say what she likes. I am equally free not to be dragged into gutter politics."

But Ms Reynolds said she had no prior knowledge of his holocaust connection and denied she intended to compare the Conservatives to the Nazis. 

She said: "Martin Neimoller's words were used to speak up for vulnerable groups who had been hit hardest by austerity measures. 

"[It was] a warning to use our strong voices in their defence.

"There was no suggestion that the Conservative party were like Nazis and the word Nazi was not used.

"I can only apologise for unintended harm as my words contained no deliberate malice."

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