THE SPLIT between Hyndburn Conservative members widened this week as would-be MP Hugh Neil returned to the borough to prepare for his de-selection meeting.

Conservative association chairman Win Frankland described Mr Neil as being "on the verge of committing professional and political suicide."

The prospective parliamentary candidate retaliated by saying Miss Frankland and her supporters were "out of touch with modern politics."

Miss Frankland, who has served the association for 30 years, added that she has a "good idea of which way things will go" at the decisive meeting on January 16.

She said she had received a great deal of support since Mr Neil was given a vote of no-confidence when Hyndburn Conservative Association met to discuss discrepancies in his CV.

"People want a candidate to be squeaky clean," explained Miss Frankland, who initiated investigations into Mr Neil's CV last October.

"Mr Neil continues to misrepresent himself every time he is questioned about his past."

She continued: "I don't feel that the association can trust him. He is a very charismatic man but lacks the control needed to be a top politician."

A clearly angry Mr Neil, who is 33 on Saturday, fumed: "I'm a good politician and willing to go out and get involved."

He added that his CV was an honest representation of his achievements.

He said recent events were destroying the association. "We look set to lose the general election now. We had stood a good chance of winning it."

But Miss Frankland insisted: "I think the constituency has been brought together by recent events."

Hyndburn's Labour MP Greg Pope said: "It is clear that there is the same disarray at local level as national level."

Yesterday (Jan 10) Hugh Neil inferred he would sue London-based Afro-Caribbean newspaper The Voice.

It had published an article which made allegations about his private life.

Stan Horne, deputy chairman of the association, also said he was considering legal action against the paper.

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