Christopher Gill, the former Conservative MP for Ludlow from 1987 to 2001, today announced (20.4.06) that he would join the UK Independence Party in protest at David Cameron’s comments.

Mr Gill made his decision after a lengthy meeting with former Parliamentary colleague, now UKIP Leader, Roger Knapman. Christopher Gill, who was a Maastricht rebel and a well-known campaigning MP, said that by reducing politics to nothing more than ‘playground name-calling’, Mr Cameron has brought the Conservative party to ‘a new low’.

He continued: “Mr Cameron’s new, forward looking Conservative Party seems to have brought back many of the disastrous has-beens from the Major administration: Maude, Gummer, Heseltine and Clarke, to name but a few, dinosaur Europhiles all. It is clear that no argument will move the Conservative Party’s official position on Europe, despite many of their MPs privately agreeing with UKIP.”

Roger Knapman added: “This excellent news shows the growing support for UKIP from seasoned political figures who now take our Party seriously. I have every confidence that more will follow.”

Eleven former Conservative MPs are now members of UKIP.