A VETERAN Conservative has hit back at Caroline Lucas for her “vicious and totally unwarranted attack” on the Prime Minister.

Sir Andrew Bowden, Brighton Kemptown MP for 27 years up to 1997, accused the Green co-leader of using “gutter tactics” following her explosive description of Theresa May as a woman unfit to run the country.

In an exclusive interview with The Argus, published on Monday, Ms Lucas said there were many reasons why the Prime Minister was unfit for the role, including her support for the return of fox hunting.

The Green candidate for Brighton Pavilion also described Mrs May’s vision for Britain as “incredibly small” and closed to the rest of the world.

She said: “There are so many reason why Theresa May is unfit to be Prime Minister.

“She has a very backward looking version of Conservatism. It’s the blood sports but also grammar schools and it feels the choice is do you want to go backwards or do you want to go forward to something that is more ambitious and hopeful?

“Her vision of what Britain is like is incredibly small – it’s closed to the rest of the world. We are going to revert back to some misty eyed version of England.”

Sir Andrew said the comments were the latest in a series of scaremongering from the Green politician, who has represented Brighton Pavilion since 2010.

He said: “I’m appalled at the vicious and totally unwarranted attack on the Prime Minister by Caroline Lucas and I believe thousands of decent people in Brighton Pavilion will be disgusted by her gutter tactics.

“Caroline Lucas has a long record of negative and destructive views and attitudes. She is an expert at scaremongering, political distortion and misrepresentation.

“A typical example is her statement that the Prime Minister wants a hard Brexit; that claim is a corruption of the truth.

“Mrs May made it clear, time and time again, she wants the best possible deal for the UK and the EU.

“However if the EU carries out the threats to punish us and make unreasonable demands such as a €100 billion exit fee, it could be we are forced into a hard Brexit.

“In view of this vile, personal attack by Caroline Lucas, I suspect come June 8 the electors of Brighton Pavilion might well feel she is not the right person to represent them.”