ISABEL COCKAYNE A former senior Liberal Democrat activist who defected to the Tories predicted last night that other disaffected party members would follow him.

ISABEL COCKAYNE

A former senior Liberal Democrat activist who defected to the Tories predicted last night that other disaffected party members would follow him.

Adrian Graves, 57, who twice stood as a Lib Dem candidate for the West Suffolk seat, which covers Mildenhall, Lakenheath and Newmarket, said there were others who might follow his lead.

Mr Graves was wooed by David Cameron's new centre ground, believing the Conservatives can defeat Labour in the next election, and said the move was nothing to do with the “catastrophic” events surrounding the resignation of Charles Kennedy and home affairs spokesman Mark Oaten.

But he did admit the decision had been hard and urged people who believed in his former party's policies to continue their support.

North Norfolk Lib Dem MP Norman Lamb said he profoundly disagreed with Mr Graves, pointing out that he was an unsuccessful candidate in that seat.

Mr Graves, who stood in 1997 and 2005 against successful candidate Richard Spring and as a European candidate in 1994, said he had not changed his politics.

Citing the Conservatives' move to the centre ground, he said: “I am afraid I am not the only person thinking in this direction. There are rumours in the Houses of Parliament that there are three current MPs reconsidering.

“I haven't actually moved. I have stayed still. David Cameron's Conservative Party is clearly an opportunity for a regime change. I decided now is the right time if we are to stop a fourth term with a weaker Labour, shored up by support from Liberals,” said Mr Graves, who lives in Great Barton, near Bury St Edmunds.

He urged Lib Dem supporters not to be put off by recent events. “[People] should judge the Lib Dems on what they stand for and not on the unfortunate two catastrophic events in the personal lives of two of its leaders,” he said.

Mr Graves, who withdrew from the local party in mid-December, but only made his move public yesterday, said: “The fairly venomous text messages started from about 11.30pm. I did not expect anything less.”

Lib Dem activists said yesterday that they were sure Mr Graves would become disillusioned with the Tories.

Mr Lamb said that although Mr Graves was a candidate, West Suffolk had not been a target seat and there was no great triumph for the Tories in the defection.

“I profoundly disagree with him. I have spent all of my adult political career fighting for what I passionately believe in and there would be no reason at all to change this now,” Mr Lamb said.

“The principals I first fought for are the same now.

“Personal scandals come and go in any party but it does not have any effect on the principals you believe in.

“I remain passionately a Liberal Democrat and passionately opposed to the Conservatives.”

t The battle to succeed Charles Kennedy as leader of the Liberal Democrats will be a three-horse race, it was confirmed yesterday. When nominations for the contest closed at 4pm, there were no surprise late entrants to join Sir Menzies Campbell, Simon Hughes and Chris Huhne, who have already declared.