TORIES HAVING TROUBLE HIDING NASTY SIDE - BURT

6.32.00pm GMT Mon 5th Nov 2007

Commenting on the resignation of a West Midlands Conservative Parliamentary Candidate, Nigel Hastilow, who stated in a newspaper article that Enoch Powell "was right" on immigration, West Worcestershire's Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate, Richard Burt said:

"The Tories are having more and more trouble hiding their nasty side.

"This episode must raise serious questions, both about the Conservative Party's selection procedures and the views of at least some of their grass roots members."

"One has to wonder how many local Conservatives share these views.

"Immigration is too often the dog pit of British politics: a place only the political rottweilers are willing to go.

"It is time for us to drag the debate back to rational ground, where it can be based on facts not prejudice, by fairness, not vitriol.

"I call on Conservatives in West Worcestershire to make their views known on this important issue and break rank with such deliberately inflammatory remarks."