FIVE former Tory district councillors who resigned from the ruling group on Bromsgrove District Council have been branded "opportunists" and egotists whose objective is to bring down the Conservative group.

As predicted in last week's Advertiser/Messenger the five who left the group a month ago to become Independents have been slung out of the party for two years.

The decision was taken by Bromsgrove Conservative Association's executive last Tuesday.

The five are Cllrs Sarah Bushby, Ann Doyle, Mike Gill, Dr Elizabeth Lammie and Nick Psirides. In August Cllrs Psirides, Lammie and Gill were suspended for opposing group policy over proposals to develop the Victoria Ground. They claimed they acted according to their conscience.

In defiance of the suspension they declared themselves Independent and were later joined by two other disillusioned Tories.

Reflecting on recent events Peter Jarrett, chairman of Bromsgrove Conservative Association said he took no pleasure in seeing them expelled. He explained that all Conservative councillors have the right to speak and vote according to conscience providing they inform the group beforehand. This, he said, they failed to do in the debate on the Rovers ground and were subsequently suspended.

He was scathing in his remarks about former Tory leader, Cllr Psirides, the Independent's co-ordinator.

He said: "This small group set out to undermine the group, showing the indifference that Cllr Psirides had previously declared.

"What has happened has nothing to do with democracy - it has far more to do with ego

"The five have the objective of bringing down the Conservative group presumably hoping to hold the balance of power.

"When Cllr Psirides decided to lead an Independent group it was no surprise. They are not martyrs they are opportunists seeking power without responsibility."

He claimed their departure has left the Conservatives stronger.

"They can now operate as they should with vigorous debate involving all members. They will no longer be deterred by a handful of indifferent dissidents with their own agenda," he said.

Cllr Psirides clamed he and his colleagues have been made scapegoats.

He said: "It has never been explained to us what penalties are to be imposed on those Conservative councillors who voted with us on the Victoria Ground issue. Why have we been considered to have broken the rules and not them?

Cllr Doyle said: "I find it astonishing the Conservative Association, when it is desperately casting about for new members and whose numbers have declined in 2003 to under 440, should seek to expel me and my colleagues for democratically trying to represent the people who elected us."

She said the matter had escalated out of all proportion.