Double standards

HOW can the Conservative Party ever claim to be a modern, progressive party when it expels members for "rebelling" against alliances with extremists?

It has now been revealed that vice-president of the European Parliament, Edward McMillan-Scott, is mounting legal action against the Conservative Party for imposing a five-year ban on his membership last July.

In 2001, Jeffrey Archer was issued with a two-year ban following perjury charges, yet expressing discomfort at being forced to rub shoulders with members of extremist groups is deemed a worse offence.