Hague threatens rebels

London - Britain's opposition Conservative leader, Mr William Hague, yesterday threatened to throw out of the party any pro-European…

London - Britain's opposition Conservative leader, Mr William Hague, yesterday threatened to throw out of the party any pro-European MPs who stand against him in European elections in June.

"Let me make this very clear. I expect all Conservative MPs without exception to campaign for the official Conservative candidates in the forthcoming elections, and any who do not will be out on their ear," Mr Hague told the BBC.

A splinter group led by two current Euro MPs who have been taken off the Tories' official list will present its own candidates in the next few days under the name of the Pro-Euro Conservative Party, the Observer newspaper said.