Goldsmith's Party is drifting back to the Tory fold

Tories Take Back Referendum Rebels

The Conservative Party confirmed that some members of Sir James' Euro-sceptic movement, which helped cost the Tories seats at the General Election, have now been allowed to rejoin.

"Members of the Referendum Party have been accepted back. If people wish to return and the constituency associations allow them to return, then we welcome them back," a spokesman said.

But he denied there had been any formal talks at a national level. "It's a matter for the constituency associations," the spokesman stressed.

The Tories can only benefit from such a move. The Referendum Party, which was set up to campaign for a wide-ranging plebiscite on Britain's future in Europe, reportedly had some 230,000 registered supporters before the election and 840,000 people voted for it on May 1.

Conservative Party membership is at present believed to have dipped as low as 300,000. Lord McAlpine, the former Tory Treasurer who defected to the Referendum Party and who has been the movement's leader since Sir James died in July, said tonight that he would take back the Tory whip if he was offered it.

"I'm a Conservative and I always will be. If they offered me the Whip I'd probably take it, but I'm not seeking it. I don't need the Conservative Whip in the Lords. I've always voted with the Conservatives anyway," he said.

But he said the Conservative Party should be prepared to accept people who had been part of the Referendum movement.

"It's a matter of principle. It's time to forgive and forget," he said. "If the Conservative Party could double its membership at a stroke I would have thought they must be thinking about it quite seriously."

Lord McAlpine must be hoping Tory memories are short, for in the run-up to the general election he likened John Major to "a pair of curtains".

He also embarrassed the Tories by revealing details of how senior party figures, including Mr Major, solicited donations for party funds from abroad.

Related Stories

July 20, Goldsmith Suceeded by McAlpine