A WOULD-BE MP says 'small groups of extremists' are short-changing the county over saving the pound.

Money talk means war as Conservative Bill Wiggin, prospective parliamentary candidate for Leominster, blasts back at election opponents with single issues in their sights.

Tories have been targeted by the county's 'Keep the Pound' campaign. Chairman Clive Easton claimed the party was talking up its own efforts at the expense of his team.

True blue Bill saw red on reading this accusation in The Hereford Times. Quick on the draw he fired off a robust response: "Herefordshire's small groups of extremists who focus on single issues do not achieve anything with the pointless attacks on the Conservatives, who are the only party who will keep the pound. They must be more honest and admit that they are campaigning for a total withdrawal from Europe."

Others included in Bill's broadside are the British National Party and the UK Independence Party, both expected to contest Leominster at the next general election.

But there's an olive branch amid the antagonism. Rather than contesting common ground, Bill urges adversaries to switch sides and swell Tory ranks.

"They should join us and ensure those who want to drag us down into a federal European state are stopped - we want to be in Europe, not run by Europe."