PRO-Brexit Monmouth MP David Davies has accused Labour's candidate to succeed Paul Flynn as MP for Newport West of attempting to hide her support for a second referendum on the UK's membership of the EU.

Ruth Jones campaigned for Remain ahead of the 2016 referendum and has said "all options should be on the table, including a people's vote".

When she was selected as Labour's candidate to fight the by-election on Thursday, April 4, she made her previous Twitter account private and launched another branded as 'Ruth Jones for Newport West'.

But Conservative MP Mr Davies - a vocal Brexiteer - has accused her of doing so to hide messages showing support for a second referendum.

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A Tweet posted by Mrs Jones on her previous account on November 24, 2018, referred to canvassing on the streets of Newport, saying: "A lot of unhappy people want a second vote", and another the following day referred to "talking about how to achieve a second referendum on the Brexit deal".

Mr Davies, who has supported a no-deal Brexit in the absence of agreement on the prime minister's deal, said: “Labour’s candidate has revealed what we all suspected – she and her party would take our country through another divisive second referendum in an attempt to overturn the results of the first.

“The constituency she now wants to represent voted strongly to leave the EU. How is she going to square her position with the people who live there?"

But Mrs Jones hit back, saying: “Theresa May’s botched Brexit deal fails leave and remain voters alike. If Parliament cannot agree on a deal and the threat to local jobs and industry continues, then the public should decide.

"David Davies is obsessed by Brexit but seems completely blind to the damage being caused here in Newport West by his Tory colleagues’ savage cuts."

Newport voted 56 per cent in favour of Leave in the 2016 referendum. Results were counted by local authority area rather than Parliamentary constituency so it is impossible to say exactly how Newport West voted.

Also running in the Newport West by-election are Jonathan Clark for Plaid Cymru, June Davies for Renew, Conservative Matthew Evans, Neil Hamilton for Ukip, Ryan Jones for the Liberal Democrats, Ian McLean for the Social Democratic Party, Hugh Nicklin for For Britain, Richard Suchorzewski for the Abolish the Welsh Assembly Party, Phillip Taylor for the Democrats and Veterans Party, and Amelia Womack for the Green Party.

The by-election will be held on Thursday, April 4.