MP injured in go-kart race

The former Cabinet minister, Michael Jopling, was in intensive care in a London hospital last night after sustaining serious injuries in a charity parliamentary go-kart race.

Mr Jopling who holds a 14,920 majority in his Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency in Cumbria, is a former agriculture minister. He was injured during a Lords vs Commons go-karting event which was being held at a course in Fulham, west London.

After the accident yesterday afternoon he was stretchered off on a spinal board with back pain and placed in a support collar. Mr Jopling was taken a to the intensive care unit of the nearby Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

A hospital spokesman said that the MP had fractured some ribs and bruised both his lungs and doctors said he was in a "serious but stable" condition.

He added that Mr Jopling was on a ventilator machine to assist his breathing. He was expected to undergo surgery today.

However, the spokesman said the former minister had not suffered head injuries and his condition was not thought to be life-threatening.

A Conservative Party source said last night that efforts were being made to contact Mr Jopling's wife Gail, who is believed to be abroad.

Mr Jopling's son, Nick, a farmer who stood for the Tories at the last general election in Tony Blair's Sedgefield constituency, said he had only recently heard about the incident, and was not able to comment.

"But I understand everything's OK," he added.

Mr Jopling's accident is bad news for the Government, which is now without a majority. However, in an important vote he could still be transported to the House of Commons to vote by ambulance.

The former Cabinet minister was one of the Tory rebels who voted against the Government in an amendment to compensate gun dealers.