The Green party in Kent has made an 11th hour plea for a cross-party alliance to field candidates in the general election, saying it is the only way to stop the Conservatives making a clean sweep in June.

The party says there is no hope that any of the parties can defeat Conservative candidates in the forthcoming election in any Kent seat, after the crushing victory for the Tories in the county council poll.

With the deadline for nominations looming this week, Green spokesman Stuart Jeffrey said: “With Labour and Lib Dems losing ground and the Tories polling at record levels we believe it is time to do politics differently which is why we have once again reached out across Kent.”

“The aim is simple, work together to field a single ‘progressive’ candidate in each Kent seat who is endorsed by all three parties.

"The candidates’ have two key promises, to fight for proportional representation and to stop an extreme Brexit.”

However, there appears to be little appetite for the idea as Mr Jeffrey said he had no responses from any of the parties yet - and the deadline for candidates is this week.

“As none of us are strong enough to win any of the seats in Kent on our own it is almost as if they want the status quo of traditional party divides to remain and ensure another five years of Conservative government.

"Not to even be prepared discuss the possibility of such an agreement is short sighted in the least.”

The Conservative landslide in the county council election suggests the party could be on course for a comprehensive win in Kent in June.