FORMER CONSERVATIVE MP BACKS RENDEL

1.00.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Sun 24th Apr 2005

Hugh Dykes - a Conservative MP between 1970 and 1997 and Government Minister in the Ministry of Defence under Edward Heath - is backing David Rendel's bid for re-election.

Lord Dykes, who used to live in Hermitage, joined the Liberal Democrats after Kenneth Clarke's unsuccessful bid for the Conservative leadership in 1997. He now sits in the House of Lords.

Visiting Newbury on Sunday (24 April), Lord Dykes said: "I was totally liberated joining the Liberal Democrats and I would recommend it to anybody. We are the only party in tune with public thinking about many, many issues - much more than the Tories, who are a right wing party living in the past."

ENDS