A LIBERAL Democrat candidate in a key marginal seat has berated party leaders, accusing them of employing "apparatchiks" to "frisk" her of money and peddle "bull****".

Sally Morgan, who will contest the new Central Devon seat at the next general election, fired off an angry e-mail to MPs and candidates across the county, threatening not to renew her party membership.

The outburst was provoked by missives from Lib-Dem HQ claiming Gordon Brown had been "taught a lesson" in last month's local elections and her party had "never been in a better position" for the looming general election.

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In fact, Ms Morgan was among several Lib-Dem county councillors who lost their seats in the Tory landslide at County Hall. The Conservatives took Devon County Council with 41 councillors, ending the 20-year rule of the Lib-Dems who were left with just 14 seats.

The Lib-Dems also lost control in Cornwall and Somerset.

Ms Morgan sent the e-mail, seen by the Western Morning News, to 10 Lib-Dem colleagues, sounding off about the party's attitude in the Westcountry, where it is at risk of being wiped out by the Tories.

She said the party should "not employ apparatchiks to telephone me at home to tell me how well the party did in the local elections only days after I and many of my colleagues lost our seats".

On the claim that the Lib-Dems have "never been in a better position", she added: "I no longer subscribe to that particular variety of bull***."

Ms Morgan was also "taken aback" at being asked to increase her donations to party coffers, likening it to the "frisking a mugging victim for any more pickings". The party has already had "several thousand pounds" of her money, as well as "my blood, sweat and tears".

The use of "organisers" to send several e-mails to party supporters was also criticised, while failing to offer support to candidates on the ground.

Ms Morgan suggested her 11-year-old daughter could do the work instead, in return for "a tenner and a few bags of Haribo cola bottles".

The missive signed off: "I've cancelled my already generous standing order and when my membership expires in October the Party can sing for it. Yours, with b***** all left to lose, Sally."

However, last night Ms Morgan told the WMN she remains a party member, and will still contest the seat at the next election. She dismissed the leaked e-mail as a "storm in a teacup".

"It was me blowing off steam to somebody in the party. I am still a parliamentary candidate. I have no argument with the party. It was probably a foolish thing to do to put it in an e-mail," she said.

The new seat of Central Devon has a notional Conservative majority of 2,338 over the Lib-Dems, based on the 2005 general election.