Conservative leader William Hague has challenged defecting former frontbencher Shaun Woodward to resign his seat and fight a by-election.

The view was echoed by Mr Woodward's Conservative association in his Witney constituency which met on Monday night.

Mr Hague said Mr Woodward's decision to leave the Conservatives for Labour would not deflect him from pursuing his party's policies.

The Tory leader rejected claims by Mr Woodward the Tories had become "extremist" under his leadership.

"These are not extreme policies. They are the mainstream policies of the people of this country and we will carry on campaigning for them," Mr Hague said.

He went on to call for Mr Woodward to stand down from his seat, saying: "If he wanted to act as a man of honour he should have a by-election.

"He should do the honourable thing and stand down and fight a by-election against a Conservative candidate."

At a meeting of the West Oxfordshire Conservative Association, members said they felt betrayed.

Association chairman Barry Tanswell said: "The events of the weekend have come as a great shock to the association.

"The management committee utterly condemns the actions of its former Conservative Member of Parliament and calls upon him to resign immediately."

Mr Tanswell said the association would select a new prospective parliamentary candidate to succeed Mr Woodward shortly.

But Mr Woodward, who was elected Tory MP for the seat at the last general election with a majority of just over 7,000, has cast aside any suggestions of a by-election.

He said his main aim now was to work hard for the constituents that elected him as their MP.

Mr Woodward said: "I was elected in 1997 on a platform of one nation values. It's the Tory party that has changed, I haven't.

"My values are best embodied in New Labour."

Family defection

As Mr Woodward signed his Labour Party membership form on Monday, he continued to insist that no deals had been done to influence his decision to leave the Tories.

He said: "I have no idea what will happen now. There are no detailed plans and no deals that have been done.

"It was simply that I could not remain in William Hague's right-wing Conservative Party any longer."

Mr Woodward has been joined in his defection to Labour by his wife Camilla, who is a member of the Sainsbury family.

His parents, who are in their 80s and lifelong Tories, have also joined Labour. His brother joined the party last week, before Mr Woodward's own defection.

His sister, Lesley, who became a woman after having a sex change six years ago, says she has always supported Labour.

The south east group of Labour MPs, has written to Mr Woodward to say it was sure he would "quickly feel at home amongst your new colleagues in the Parliamentary Labour Party".

Mr Woodward has warned Mr Hague that a number of other Tory MPs could be ready to follow his lead and defect.

Senior Tories have urged the Tory leader to learn lessons from Mr Woodward's decision to change sides.

Lord Hurd, Mr Woodward's predecessor as Tory MP for Witney, said: "If everybody who shares the kind of concerns and anxieties that Shaun Woodward had left, then the party would never be elected to govern."

But former deputy prime minister Michael Heseltine, whose pro-European views are at odds with the party's line, insisted Mr Woodward's criticisms were unfounded.

He predicted the Tories would return to power "from a position that is essentially a one-nation centralist position".

But not all Labour MPs share Downing Street's delight at Mr Woodward's move.

Veteran Labour MP Tony Benn also urged Mr Woodward to face the voters in a by-election.

"If he's joined Labour fine and great, but he'd better prove that he's wanted in Parliament. I think that principle is one we've got to re-establish," he said.