TORIES say party members will decide the fate of defecting Pendle MEP Sajjad Karim as a European Parliament shortlist is drawn up.
Conservative Party chiefs say the process to select their North West MEPs will be "open and democratic."
Party officials were commenting after a Lancashire Telegraph report in which Pendle Labour MP Gordon Prentice urged the Tories to ditch Mr Karim, who joined David Cameron's outfit from the Liberal Democrats in November.
Mr Prentice said such defections tainted politics and encouraged Conservative voters to reject the former Nelson-based Euro MP's change of allegiances.
But Coun John Walsh, North West Conservative Party chairman, has defended the MEP selection procedures.
He said: "This is an open and democratic process."
The nominations dead-line was January 4.
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