RICHARD Taylor will have at least one ally when he steps into the daunting atmosphere of the House of Commons for the first time.

New Conservative Leominster MP Bill Wiggin, whose constituency covers Rock, Ribbesford, Bliss Gate, Heightington, Callow Hill and Pound Bank, has pledged to support the retired doctor's battle to restore services to Kidderminster Hospital.

Mr Wiggin, who has a majority of 10,367, described the downgrading of the hospital as "one of the worst things that has happened" in the area.

"It has put the lives of my constituents at risk and I am very much in favour of services being restored," he said.

He was "not surprised" by Dr Taylor's landslide victory and viewed it as a "condemnation of the Labour Party's health policy" - and looked forward to working with him on the issue, which he felt rendered political affiliation irrelevant.

"This has given the Labour Party a very bloody nose," Mr Wiggin added.

"The hospital issue was never going to go away. I feel very, very strongly about it and I really would love to see services restored. Dr Taylor certainly has an ally in me."

Liberal Democrat Matthew Green, who snatched Ludlow from the Conservatives with a majority of 1,630, said he was delighted for Dr Taylor.

Dr Taylor's success would "dramatically increase the influence that can be brought to bear on the Government and the health authority".

"I was largely responsible for persuading the Liberal Democrats not to field a candidate against him," added Mr Green, whose constituents in Cleobury Mortimer and South Shropshire are served by the hospital.

"He is not going to be able to make the decision to restore services himself but what he has is a mandate and the Government ignores a mandate at its peril.

"The issue is now known nationally and there will be continual questions asked at a national level as to what is being done."

- Former Kidderminster mayor Nigel Knowles stood for Labour in Ludlow but saw the vote halve on the 1997 figure.