NEW £3 million funding for the widening of the A27 has been slammed as “blatant electioneering”.

Liberal Democrats and Greens have criticised the surprise announcement of additional funding to dual the A27 between Lewes and Polegate.

Transport secretary Chris Grayling joined Conservative candidates Maria Caulfield and Caroline Ansell to announce the funding on Monday.

Comparisons were made to a similar pre-election promise by Chancellor George Osborne in 2015 for a £100,000 feasibility report into reopening the Lewes to Uckfield line. The report finally materialised in March only to rule there was a poor business case for the line.

Six proposals were unveiled in October by Highways England to improve journey times around Polegate and Selmeston.

Ms Caulfield said dualling was not initially explored on the orders of former MP Norman Baker but interest in road widening was expressed by residents and businesses during the consultation. Residents said the party had forgotten the scale of opposition to previous dualling plans dropped by the Conservatives in the 1990s.

Green Andrew Durling accused the Tories of hypocrisy after previously claiming they couldn’t publish their air quality plan during the election campaign due to purdah rules.

Ms Caulfield said: “We all know that the former Lib Dem MP for Lewes did everything he could to stop the improvement of the A27. This announcement would have been happening whether the election was taking place or not.

“It isn’t about new money, it is about £3 million being released to work up dualling options where previously these were excluded.”

Lib Dem candidate Stephen Lloyd said: “Suddenly, after ignoring Eastbourne throughout the whole process, Grayling pays us a visit. If this blatant, cynical electioneering wasn’t so laughably transparent one could almost weep with frustration.”