election as a Tory in Monmouthshire was ousted from the Newport council Tory group in 2007.

Newport councillor Simon Lane was selected to stand as the Conservative candidate for Dixton with Osbaston after sitting Tory candidate Bob Hayward decided to run as an independent in the ward.

Cllr Lane, who is currently the sitting councillor for Langstone in Newport but now lives in Tintern, told the Argus he remained in the party following his ousting in 2007.

South Wales Argus: election 2012 icon

The Argus reported in 2007 that Cllr Matthew Evans, Newport Tory group leader and then opposition leader, said he had breached group rules.

Cllr Lane at the time indicated that he would sit as an independent Conservative. He was later re-elected in 2008.

Cllr Lane now says that he was never expelled from the Tory Party and supported the Tories in Newport council.

“I’ve moved to Monmouthshire, which I suppose is now my base more than Newport,” he said.

“I feel I’ve got things to offer and the Conservatives obviously feel the same way.”

He added: “I accept that things could have been done differently but I remained a member of the C o n s e r va t i v e Party.”

Roy Garner, chairman of the Monmouth Tory Association, said Cllr Lane was selected for the ward in “accordance with all the rules and followed all the normal selection procedure”.

Cllr Hayward told the Argus he decided to stand as an independent after he was given a “final warning” over voting against the local development plan at a meeting in summer 2011.

● In the May 3 elections, Cllr Lane is standing for the Conservatives against sitting Dixton with Osbaston councillor Bob Hayward, an independent, and Liberal Democrat candidate Anthea Dewhurst.