A CONSERVATIVE MP has been attacked by a key political ally for refusing to back aborted plans for a new £300m super-hospital in the North-East.

Ken Lupton, a former Tory leader of Stockton Borough Council, accused Stockton South MP James Wharton of a “lack of leadership” over the project, which has been reluctantly shelved by health chiefs.

The criticism comes in Mr Lupton’s resignation letter from the board of the North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, which is behind the Wynyard Hospital scheme.

The letter – obtained by The Northern Echo – reveal that the councillor was forced out by the other board members because of Mr Wharton’s opposition to the project.

Asked about his resignation, Cllr Lupton criticised the way the Wynyard Hospital issue had become a “political football”, instead of being settled on its health merits.

And he pointed to Mr Wharton’s decision to carry out a survey of constituents, which found that 76 per cent opposed the project – while only 16 per cent were in favour.

Cllr Lupton said: “My view is that it would have been better to have a survey of the whole of the region to understand what’s required, rather than just of Stockton South.

“I have told James that, in my opinion, he could have been more positive in his approach, rather than reacting to the results of his survey.”

In the letter, the councillor refers to the lack of Government “lack of action” over Wynyard and “in particular, the lack of leadership by James Wharton MP”.

But Mr Wharton hit back hard, accusing the hospital Trust of leaking the letter to attack “the only local MP who dared to speak out and say no to the Wynyard Hospital white elephant”.

He said: “This project never had public support, has wasted millions of pounds and distracted from what is really needed: investment in existing services and North Tees.

“If representing the views of the people who elected me is a lack of leadership then I am guilty as charged.

“I will continue to fight for money to go into North Tees and will not be scared off by smears and personal attacks from unelected and highly paid Trust officials.”

Mr Lupton said he been asked to step down by Paul Garvin, the trust’s chairman, who argued the MP’s stance had created a “conflict of interest” for him.

Last month, the North Tees and Hartlepool Trust suspended plans for the hospital because of a lack of “high-level political support” ahead of the looming May general election.

Wynyard was given the go-ahead by Labour in 2010, but axed by the Coalition within weeks of it coming to power because of its £464m upfront cost.

The Trust had tried to secure Government support for a slimmed-down, cheaper version of the new hospital using the private finance initiative (PFI) and Government loans.

In a statement, Mr Garvin denied the Trust had leaked the letter and acknowledged that Mr Lupton had been “a strong supporter” of the new hospital.

He said: “Ken was being squeezed between the interests of the Trust’s patients and his position within the Conservative party and decided to offer his resignation from the board.”

Mr Lupton was leader of Stockton Council between 2007 and 2011, during which time Mr Wharton snatched the Stockton South seat from Labour with a wafer-thin majority of 332.

The MP tweeted his response to Mr Lupton’s decision, this week, to stand down as the Tory group leader, saying: “He has been a real pleasure to work with and has done a lot.”