A FORMER Conservative leader of Worcester City Council is refusing for the first time to vote Tory because of what he calls "spin and misinformation" by two councillors.

Lifelong Tory David Wright, formerly a Conservative councillor and chairman of the Swan Theatre, was angered by Stephen Inman and David Clark blaming the Swan's board for the theatre's closure.

Mr Wright said he could understand the council needing to slash the theatre's funding because of a financial crisis, but their letters in Saturday's Evening News pushed him to break his silence.

"I cannot leave unchallenged the attempt to justify that decision by a campaign of spin and misinformation, seeking to portray the Swan as a failing institution and to damage the reputation of those, both board members and theatre professionals, who gave so much to make it the success it actually was," he said.

"To blame people who had given so much and achieved so much is entirely unforgivable."

Although he has not been involved in running the Swan since he stood down in 2000, after nine years as chairman, he said the new board has been "strong" with both theatrical and business experience.

"Sadly, I care too much about Worcester to vote Conservative this year," said Mr Wright, who joined the party as a teenager.

In Saturday's letter, Coun Inman said the board's running of the theatre was "fundamentally flawed" because it assumed "one cheque from the council would follow another, no questions asked".

Coun Clark said the Swan had been a "financial disaster" and criticised what he described as the "cavalier" attitude of the board "assuming the

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Coun Clark said he stood by what he wrote and added the figures showing that the Swan was failing spoke for themselves.

"It's crazy to expect Worcester people to pay for empty seats," he said. "It's Stephen and I who are responsible to the electorate for the prudent use of their money."

Coun Inman, leader of the council, also stood by his letter.

"I can understand that a few people may feel upset by my remarks, but I believe 99 per cent of people in Worcester appreciate that we're going to have a Swan reborn which is better than what we had."