VACUOUS HEART OF TORY PARTY EXPOSED - BURT

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 27th Jun 2007

Commenting on the news that Quentin Davies MP, a senior Conservative Party spokesman has defected to the Labour Party, local Liberal Democrat MP, Lorely Burt said:

"The defection of such a high profile Conservative exposes the rudderless nature of the Tory party under the leadership of David Cameron.

"Cameron's Conservative Party can be characterised by sound bites and photo opportunities that do not stand up to closer scrutiny. It's no wonder that some traditional Conservatives are searching for a new political home."

In his letter resigning from the Tories, Mr Davies said that under Mr Cameron, the Conservatives "appear to me to have ceased collectively to believe in anything, or to stand for anything". He added:

"It has no bedrock. It exists on shifting sands. A sense of mission has been replaced by a PR agenda."

Addressing Tory activists in Solihull specifically, Lorely added:

"If you think the Tories have lost their way and agree with us in our profound opposition to Labour on such issues as stealth taxes, pension raids, nuclear power, ID cards, or Iraq, then you will find a home with the only real alternative in Solihull - the Liberal Democrats."