MP who betrayed sick wife is dumped by his local Tories

• Economy would have been twice as strong if spending had stayed at 1960 levels

Members of North Wiltshire Conservative Association voted against endorsing James Gray as their candidate for the next general election.

They were appalled when Mr Gray's affair with married mother-of-three Philippa Mayo was revealed in September.

The 51-year-old MP, a father of three, met his mistress in February last year as they campaigned against a ban on foxhunting.

Sarah, his wife of 26 years, was being treated for breast cancer at the time. He is now divorcing her.

Mr Gray, from Slaughterford, Wiltshire, has represented the area for a decade and had been endorsed as the next candidate in February by a show of hands.

But after his affair was exposed, local activists found a clause in the rules that said the selection process should have been carried out with a secret ballot.

Last night they held a new ballot - and Mr Gray lost. After the meeting, the MP vowed to fight on, saying he plans to ask for a postal vote.

Mr Gray said: "I've done a firstclass job and all the people I've spoken to think that having a divorce should not prevent me continuingto do my job effectively. I respect the decision of the committee and I'm sad that it's happened.

"Most people I've talked to say they are sad about the end of my marriage, but these things happen these days and they are happy to endorse my candidacy.

"I'm happy with my performance. I stuck with my wife through the early signs of breast cancer and I think she is very courageous." The former frontbench spokesman on the countryside has said he plans to set up home with 43-year- old Mrs Mayo, a mother of three.

Her 43-year-old husband Rupert, a top criminal lawyer, has moved out of the family home at Tilton on the Hill, Leicestershire.

He has bitterly condemned the MP for not living up to the family values promoted by his party leader. Mr Mayo said: "The irony is that I will not reap the benefits of David Cameron's excellent familybased proposals because one of his MPs has ripped my family apart."

The Mayos have a 14-year-old son and daughters of 12 and nine. Mr Gray and his wife have two sons, aged 22 and 15, and a 19-year-old daughter.

A Tory party spokesman said: "This is a constituency matter".