I never signed letter to Cameron - Tory MP

Andrew Tyrie

Mr Tyrie said he had seen a draft letter but not signed it

By Nick Robinson
Political editor

The senior Tory backbencher Andrew Tyrie - who is chairman of the Treasury Select Committee - says his name appeared on a Eurosceptic letter to the prime minister even though he never signed it and doesn't agree with it.

Mr Tyrie told the BBC that he had seen a draft of the letter which called for Parliament to have a national veto over EU laws but did not agree with all of it and felt it was worthless without all party support.

Mr Tyrie claims he knows of six other Tory MPs whose names wrongly appeared on the letter which claimed to have the support of 96 Conservative backbenchers.

The names of signatories were sent to Downing Street but were not made public.

Those behind the letter refused to comment on the claim but suggested that the Tory whips were putting pressure on MPs to withdraw their support from a letter which ministers insist makes "unrealistic" and calls for a change in policy and which has the potential to cause real embarrassment.