South West Hertfordshire MP David Gauke has announced he will stand as an independent candidate in the General Election.

But despite his backing for a second referendum, and advocating that people vote Liberal Democrat, the party appears to still be fielding a candidate against him.

The former Conservative justice secretary said he will contest the seat he has held since 2005.

He has also endorsed calls for a second referendum and warned a Conservative majority will result in a "disastrous" no-deal Brexit.

He said there was no longer any chance of uniting the country around a "relatively soft Brexit" and encouraged Tory supporters opposed to a no-deal to vote for the Liberal Democrats.

He told The Times: "I represent a form of liberal Conservatism, but the last few months have been increasingly uncomfortable...

"The principle issue of this General Election is Brexit and I think that the Conservative Party has got it badly wrong.

"The easy thing to do would be to go quietly but I feel that I have to make a stand and make the case that we are heading towards an outcome that we will deeply regret."

Mr Gauke was one of 21 MPs kicked out of the Tory party in September after he backed a plan to take control of the Commons timetable to pass legislation to block a no-deal Brexit.

Some MPs had their whip restored, but the former cabinet member was not one of them.

Mr Gauke said he feared if Boris Johnson returned with an overall majority it would lead to Britain leaving the EU at the end of the transition period at the end of 2020 on World Trade Organisation (WTO) terms.

"A Conservative majority after the next General Election will take us in the direction of a very hard Brexit," he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.

"In all likelihood at the end of 2020 we will leave the implementation period without a deal with the EU, on WTO terms, in effect on no-deal terms, that I believe would be disastrous for the prosperity of this country - whole sectors would become unviable."

Mr Gauke said that even if Mr Johnson wanted to extend the transition period in order to allow more time to negotiate a new free trade deal with the EU, he would be unable to do so.

"I think in reality the Prime Minister is so boxed in that the Conservative Party would not allow him to extend the implementation period even if he wanted to - and he shows no signs of wanting to do so," he said.

Mr Gauke said he did not identify as a Lib Dem, but suggested that Tory supporters could consider voting for them in some parts of the country.

"I'm impressed by (Lib Dem leader) Jo Swinson. I think if I was living in a lot of constituencies I would lend my vote to the Liberal Democrats," he said.

But The Sun's political editor Tom Newton Dunn tweeted this morning: "No Remain alliance in South West Hertfordshire. I hear the Lib Dems have decided to still field a candidate against David Gauke, despite him now backing a confirmatory referendum."

His comments came after two former Labour MPs, Ian Austin and John Woodcock, last week urged Labour voters to support the Tories, saying Jeremy Corbyn was unfit to be prime minister.