A HIGH-PROFILE borough politician has taken a swipe at Basingstoke MP Maria Miller after he was formally excluded from the Conservative Party.

This week, the party's national board decided Basingstoke Conservative Association followed the correct procedures when it threw out Councillor Phil Heath in July.

The association acted after an alleged argument, conducted by telephone answer messages, between him and Mike Denness, agent for the association and Mrs Miller.

Cllr Heath said Mrs Miller's reaction to his plight has disappointed him.

He said: "I have not heard from Maria Miller, even though I led the campaign and got her elected - not even a text or a telephone call.

"I think others have been disappointed by her response as well. There's a human element to this and people expect a human response. There's been no human reaction from Maria."

Cllr Heath, a Tory for 23 years, said of the board's decision on Monday: "I feel they have robbed me of my party."

The stage is now set for 52-year-old Cllr Heath, who represents Hatch Warren and Beggarwood on Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and Basingstoke South West on Hampshire County Council, to appeal for reinstatement on November 4.

Cllr Heath said Monday's board meeting had been a "tick-the-boxes" exercise, examining the process, and did not examine the evidence. He is confident he will be reinstated when the evidence is reviewed at the appeal.

The defiant councillor said: "When everything goes as anticipated on November 4, watch for the fireworks on the fifth."

Mrs Miller said: "I think it's a very difficult situation when members are excluded from the party and that's really an issue for the association, and I don't think it's helped by members of parliament being involved in that."

The borough Conservative group has excluded Cllr Heath, who now sits as an independent.

Group leader Cllr Mark Ruffell said of the board's decision: "I didn't think there would be any different response."

Hampshire's Tory leader Councillor Ken Thornber said he had not made a decision on Cllr Heath's status as he has not yet received notification of the board's verdict.