Tories are challenging Witney MP Shaun Woodward to continue the fight against a proposed £6m bus lane despite his defection to Labour, writes Suzanne Huband.

Last week, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott backed the scheme which will see a west-to-east single-lane bus route along the A40 from Witney to Oxford.

Mr Woodward opposed the scheme before he quit the Conservatives.

Barry Norton, Tory leader on West Oxfordshire District Council, said: "Only last month, Mr Woodward spoke out against the bus lane and in favour of a dual-carriageway on the A40 to save businesses lost revenue because of time wasted sitting in traffic queues. "To reduce the available space for motorists by creating a bus lane, which will be empty most of the time, is an appalling waste of taxpayers' money, without any evidence to show it will create a shift from the car to public transport."

Conservative councillors think the £6m would be better spent removing the bottleneck from the Wolvercote roundabout which slows traffic and creates tailbacks east bound on the A40.

Mr Norton said: "Let's see if Shaun Woodward is still willing to continue his criticism of John Prescott's transport strategies or if indeed he changes his stance and thereby demonstrates very clearly that it is he who is changing his views and not, as he claims, the Conservative party he has just left."

Story date: Thursday 30 December

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.