One of the four Tory peers exiled from the party for supporting UKIP has launched a fresh attack on Michael Howard's European policy.

The attack comes after four Conservative peers had the party whip withdrawn after giving their backing to the UK Independence Party.

The action came after 12 members of the upper house announced they were giving their support to the UKIP ahead of June's elections.

Prominent Tory Lord Pearson of Rannoch defended his decision - and called on Michael Howard to "see sense" on Europe.

"Within the party we have failed to persuade Michael Howard to take a much tougher line towards the EU," he said.

"A solid swing to UKIP on June 10 might help to do so. The only party which might save our democracy, our right to govern ourselves,
from the corrupt octopus in Brussels is the Conservatives.

"But the only people at the moment who can make the Conservative leadership see sense are UKIP."

The criticism came amid fears that UKIP could put in a strong performance on June.

Charles Kennedy, the Liberal Democrat leader, used an interview on Sunday to play down suggestions that his party could be squeezed into fourth place.

"I don't think people should read too much into this," he told Sky News.

"If you look at the one poll - and it is completely out of step with everything that has been published over the last two years - even in the worst case scenario it still shows the Lib Dems as the only one of the three mainstream political parties as up on our level of support."

Whip removed

The other Tory peers who have lost the whip are Lord Willoughby de Broke, Baroness Cox of Queensbury and Lord Stevens of Ludgate.

In an open letter they argued that voting for UKIP was the only way of persuading Conservative leader Michael Howard to back a policy of withdrawal from the European Union.

"We urge those who normally vote for one of the main political parties to lend their vote at the European elections on 10 June to the UK Independence Party," said the letter.

"Only thus will the main parties be persuaded that their policies towards the European Union are not in the national interest.

"It is to that national interest that we all owe our allegiance."

A fifth peer, Lord Laing of Dunphail, retracted his support and escaped disciplinary action.

The Conservative leader in the upper House, Lord Strathclyde, warned that voting "for any party other than the Conservatives on June 10 would be to let Tony Blair off the hook".

But UKIP MEP Nigel Farage said the backing showed that "the time has come to put country before party".

He added that the support of the crossbenchers "indicates the depth of feeling on this issue within the Lords, and we believe that there are many more who will follow the example they have set".