A CHRISTCHURCH councillor has said that North Dorset MP Simon Hoare is “unfitting to sit in the House of Commons” due to his “intemperate language” and “Twitter outbursts”.

Speaking at Tuesday’s council meeting, Cllr David Jones hit out at Mr Hoare following a request that the council congratulates him on his appointment as parliamentary private secretary earlier this week.

Cllr Jones had put forward a motion including thanks to Christchurch MP Sir Christopher Chope for his support in Christchurch Council’s opposition to local government reorganisation.

It followed last month’s defeat of the council’s legal challenge against the Future Dorset proposals which will now see the council abolished and services merged under a new Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council from April.

However, a proposed amendment including congratulations to Mr Hoare drew the ire of Cllr Jones.

Former council leader, Cllr Ray Nottage requested that all Dorset MPs be thanked for “representing their communities” during the local government reorganisation debate rather than just Sir Christopher.

He also proposed adding in congratulations to North Dorset MP Simon Hoare following his appointment as parliamentary private secretary to the home secretary, Sajid Javid, earlier this week.

Opposing Cllr Nottage’s suggestion, Cllr Jones said: “An MP who has shown himself to be, in my opinion, unfitting to sit in the House of Commons by his intemperate language and Twitter outbursts.

“And when you compare that with the courtesy that Sir Christopher has shown at all times to his opponents then you just begin to wonder just what is happening to the Conservative party.”

Mr Hoare, along with all of Dorset’s other MPs, excluding Sir Christopher, had supported local government reorganisation in Dorset saying that it would “pave the way” for “major cost savings”.

Responding to Cllr Jones’ comments, Mr Hoare said that he “didn’t think he had ever met Cllr Jones” but that “everyone was entitled to their own opinions”.

The amendment was defeated with 14 councillors voting against it and only seven supporting the move.