London - Mr Peter Temple-Morris, the pro-Europe MP who quit the Tory Party last week, said yesterday he would be supporting the policies of the Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, in the Commons, although he will for the moment remain independent. Mr Temple-Morris, who will sit alongside Labour backbenchers in the House, said he was "very sympathetic" to the Prime Minister and wanted to be "part of the action".
Meanwhile, senior Conservatives struggled yesterday to bridge a widening party split over Europe as another Tory rebel, the former shadow Cabinet member, Mr David Curry, warned his party would lose the next general election unless it took a more flexible line on the single currency. He said the Tories' hardline stance on Europe would alienate floating voters.
Criticising Mr Temple-Morris for having moved to the Labour benches, Mr Curry claimed it was important for the Tories to have an internal party debate.
The Home Secretary, Mr Jack Straw, agreed that the Tories' firm line on Europe would to divide the party. "The Conservative Party is on the verge of an irrevocable split which threatens to keep it out of government for a generation," he said.