Mawhinney on offensive

Brian Mawhinney, the Conservative party chairman, sought last night to exploit the resignation of the Labour candidate for the pending by-election in Wirral South.

Ian Wingfield resigned last week as candidate for the Merseyside seat left vacant by the death last weekend of Conservative MP Barry Porter.

Mr Mawhinney said that, if true, newspaper reports that Mr Wingfield had been violent towards his girlfriend and former wife made a "mockery of New Labour's claim to be the party of family values" In a statement issued at the weekend, Mr Wingfield said he had resigned "because of the untrue rumours that are being circulated against me". John Rentoul