IAIN DUNCAN SMITH, leader of the Conservative Party, has attacked Watford Council leader Vince Muspratt as "not fit" to be mayor after failing to take responsibility for financial failures.

He said the Labour Party should not be allowed to "get away with" its accounting mismanagement.

The comments represent the highest level attack on Watford's Labour Party over the accounting affair.

Mr Duncan Smith is the first senior figure in national politics to speak out on the matter.

He said it was "an outrage" for the Labour Party to promote Councillor Muspratt as a candidate.

He called for "genuine accountability" in local government and said people deserved "dignity, honesty and integrity" from those running a council.

Mr Duncan Smith made the remarks during a visit to The Watford Hilton on Saturday, March 2. He had been briefed by local Tories on the recent District Auditor's (DA) report into Watford Council's accounts.

The DA had described the accounts as "uncharted territory" and said the task to set the Council's financial affairs in order was "vast"

His latest report, on last year's accounts, included a £537,000 write-off. The Council pointed out this was not "lost" money, but the DA stated it reduced available resources.

There has been no evidence of fraud or misappropriated funds, but the problems have cost money. More than £200,000 will have been spent on consultants, brought in to restore accounting order, by March next year.

Mr Duncan Smith said: "I would love to know why Labour thinks it can support the man who is behind all this".

Leader of the Labour-run town hall Vince Muspratt has said there was "no question" he should resign over the affair.

Last week Councillor Muspratt criticised the DA for making "rash" and "unsubstantiated" comments. He called the audit "a shambles".

"I am confident substantial progress has been made to resolve the management problems," he said.