Tories appoint new farms spokesman

David Lidington is moving from the Tory Treasury team

A former William Hague aide, and supporter of Michael Portillo, has been appointed to replace the Conservative frontbencher sacked for telling a racist joke.

Lidington biography

Educated at Haberdasher's Aske's School, Elstree and Cambridge University

Work for BP and RTZ

1987: Made special adviser to Douglas Hurd

1992: Enters Parliament

1997: Aide to William Hague

1999: Shadow home affairs minister

2001: Tory Treasury spokesman

David Lidington moves up from the Tory Treasury team to take up Ann Winterton's former job of shadow minister for agriculture and the fisheries.

The 45-year-old initially supported Michael Portillo in last year's race for the Conservative leadership.

Hunting is one of the most controversial issues to come under his brief and like Mrs Winterton, Mr Lidington opposes a ban on hunting with dogs.

For the first time, he will be a member of the shadow cabinet.

First elected for his Buckinghamshire seat in 1992, the MP has also served as shadow home affairs minister.

Special adviser role

In the late 1980s, he was a special adviser to Douglas Hurd when he was Home and later Foreign Secretary.

Mr Lidington's replacement as a shadow Treasury minister has yet to be announced.

His appointment comes after Mrs Winterton tried to draw a line under the furore over her remarks, made at a rugby club dinner in Cheshire.

She initially apologised if anyone had been offended by her "joke".

But the Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith dismissed her, adding that racist comments had no place among Conservatives.

Mrs Winterton quickly tried to return to the work of a constituency MP on Tuesday as she asked a question in the Commons about one of her local hospitals.