A Tory peer, Lord Gilmour, to be removed from the party for supporting pro-European Conservatives at the European elections, accused Mr William Hague yesterday of bearing the hallmark of weak and unpopular leaders "eager to put their small feet down, usually in the wrong place on unimportant matters".
His criticism came in his reply to a letter from the party chairman, Mr Michael Ancram, who said his actions were "incompatible with continued membership of the Conservative Party".
Lord Gilmour said the Tory Party had become "that rare and dismal thing: a doctrinaire sect without charismatic leaders". He denounced Mr Hague's European policies as "ridiculous".
Mr Ancram has sent a similar letter to the former Tory MP, Sir Julian Critchley.
The government was defeated last night as the House of Lords backed a Tory move to curb political patronage in the reformed House.