A CONSERVATIVE MP has urged his party not to accept the Independent councillor who defected within days of the local elections.

Cllr Derek Borthwick provoked outrage after it was revealed that he approached the Conservatives about joining them within a day of the final election results being announced.

Now Bournemouth East MP Tobias Ellwood has said he is “not comfortable” with Cllr Borthwick being a member of the local party and wants his membership blocked.

Cllr Borthwick was sitting with the other 45 Conservative members of Bournemouth council yesterday after being admitted into the national party and the Tory group of councillors.

The special council meeting decided membership of the council’s boards and committees but put paid to speculation that Cllr Borthwick would be given a chairmanship.

But Mr Ellwood told the Daily Echo: “I’m uncomfortable with him becoming a member of Bournemouth East Conservative Association.

“I do not believe it’s right and appropriate when just a week ago he was standing against Conservative candidates. “It’s unfortunate to hear about the breakdown in the relationship between the Independent councillors but that’s not a justification for accepting him into Bournemouth East Conservative Party.”

Cllr John Beesley, deputy leader of the council and a member of the Bournemouth West association, said Cllr Borthwick had been signed up to the national party rather than the local association.

“There’s a welcome letter from David Cameron to him which he will by now have received. He’s a paid-up member of the party, which he would have to be to have joined the group,” he said.

“You can join the party nationally. Most people join locally and I suspect in time that will happen but that has to go through the verification process locally.”

He added: “It’s an association and group matter and therefore it’s not a matter for the Member of Parliament.

“It would be an unwise Member of Parliament who gets involved in either those association matters or indeed in group matters on Bournemouth council.

“It would be very unusual for that to occur.”

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