Marsden: About turn

Floor-crossing MP Paul Marsden has decided to rejoin the Labour Party.

The man who left Labour for the Liberal Democrats in 2001 announced his astonishing u-turn on Wednesday.

The Shrewsbury and Atcham MP, who is standing down at the general election, resigned from the government backbenches over the war in Afghanistan and joined Charles Kennedy's party.

But he now claims "good constituency Labour MPs" would lose their seats if voters backed the Tories or Lib Dems.

"I left the Labour Party in 2001 because I refused to be silenced over the war in Afghanistan and my unhappiness over the levels of investment in public services," he said.

"Like 138 Labour MPs, I feel vindicated that the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were not necessary and have cost thousands of lives of innocent civilians.

"I did not agree with the government's foreign policy then, and I do not agree with it now, but I believe that I can now disagree with that policy from inside the Labour Party, which is more tolerant and more willing to listen."

The move comes after a Labour candidate announced he was joining the third party on the day the election was called on Tuesday.

A Lib Dem spokesman said: "Paul has not been able to be in parliament very much in recent months.

"He announced some time ago that he would standing down."