ELECTIONEER Daniel Smy is still spinning around after being forced out of his political role with the South Dorset Conservatives for going to see a Kylie Minogue concert.

Today he is calling on the Tory Party to get some street-cred and connect with the 21st century electorate rather than appear out-of-touch and "fuddy-duddy".

He says his Kylie concert outing, and the subsequent popularity of Tory strategist Derek Laud on TV reality show Big Brother, are examples of the way the party can get in touch with modern Britain.

Mr Smy, who met Big Brother's Derek earlier this year, took a day off from the campaign trail to see pocket-sized pop princess Kylie at a sell-out show in London.

But when Ed Matts - the general election candidate he was backing - failed to win the South Dorset seat Mr Smy, 31, was brought before three senior party colleagues to face the music.

Would they forgive him for stepping out to see Kylie four days before the general election?

He should be so lucky.

Mr Smy, whose favourite Kylie songs include Locomotion and Spinning Around, said: "The old guard are trying to punish me. They turned on me and said I shouldn't have gone to see Kylie."

Mr Smy said he resigned under duress from his post as deputy chairman of the South Dorset Conservative Association, which he had taken up only in March.

A Conservative since he was 15, he briefed former PM John Major at Downing Street on young people's issues and met Derek Laud during this year's election campaign only weeks before the Tory strategist went on Big Brother.

Mr Smy believes keeping in touch with modern Britain and "doing things that normal people do" such as going to pop concerts are the way forward for the Conservatives.

South Dorset Labour MP Jim Knight, paying tribute to the West Dorset Conservative councillor, said: "I know Daniel works hard and he was one of the few Tories I actually saw knocking on people's doors during the campaign."

Judy Jamieson, Conser-vative area campaign director, said: "I don't believe anything beneficial is to be had by discussing or debating this in the media."

First published: August 13, 2005