A FORMER Conservative Party member has swapped sides in the race for Government.

Charles Dodman, who until last month was a paid-up member of the Chester Conservatives, has now been unveiled as the Eddisbury parliamentary candidate for UKIP.

Mr Dodman, a chartered accountant from Chester, decided to change his political affiliation after losing confidence in the Tory party leader.

He said: “I have never been so disenchanted by a leader, as with the present one David Cameron. He upset me greatly by reneging on a cast iron promise to give the UK electorate a referendum on continued membership of the EU.

“My other major concern relates to his complete acceptance of the man-made global warming scam. I cannot believe anyone who is supposed to be the leader of a great party could be hoodwinked into believing this nonsense.”

Mr Dodman, who was educated in Wrexham before graduating from the University of Manchester, said he was looking forward to some political jousting with his prospective Eddisbury rivals at a debating event later this month.

His switch from the Tories has been swift as, while as deputy president of the Chester Debating Society, he opposed a motion submitted by UKIP North West chairman Phil Griffith during a recent meeting.

But despite the late defection, Mr Dodman is hoping Eddisbury voters will share his views. He said: “I look forward to serving the people of Eddisbury with honesty and straight talking, putting their views first.”