TORIES have been urged to ditch Pendle MEP Sajjad Karim when they draw up their shortlist for the European elections.

Former solicitor Mr Karim's defection from the Liberal Democrats to the Conservatives, at the end of November, sparked a bitter war of words in local political circles.

He claimed that the Lib Dems, who control Pendle Council and are part of a ruling coalition in Burnley and Blackburn boroughs, were a spent force'.

Announcing his intention to switch sides, Mr Karim said he was impressed by David Cameron's brand of Liberal Conservatism' and his stance on immigration.

But now Pendle Labour MP Gordon Prentice has urged Tories to dump Mr Karim from their north west shortlist.

Nominations must be lodged with Conservative Central Office by tomorrow, before a series of selection meetings take place and a shortlist is produced.

Mr Prentice said: "When the Conservatives select their candidates for the European Parliamentary elections in 2009, I ask them to select Conservatives, not people who switch parties because it suits them.

"I have said it before, but this kind of behaviour degrades and contaminates our politics.

"We should not have anything to do with Sajjad Karim. I do not know whether he is a Conservative - only the Conservatives will be able to find that out - but I do know that he has to submit his CV for consideration by the north west selection committee by January 4. I hope that that CV is published."

Mr Karim, whose Lib Dem office was based in Nelson, was unavailable for comment last night.

But previously he said: "I'm here to serve the people of the north west and I think I can only do that now as a Conservative.

"I'm sure I will not be the last politician to reach the same conclusion.

"It's David Cameron and the Conservatives who are now setting the political agenda in Britain. Only the Conservatives are capable of putting right Labour's continued failure."