OBSERVERS at Westminster are wondering whether East Lancashire's lone Tory MP Nigel Evans has missed the political boat.

Many thought he was destined for great things when he won his Ribble Valley seat at the second time of asking.

This week he congratulated new Birmingham Hodge Hill Labour MP Liam Byrne for winning his by-election before Parliament broke up for the summer.

Following Mr Byrne's maiden speech, Mr Evans said: "I've fought several by-elections and the major difference between us is that he won his.

"Another difference is that he gave an excellent maiden speech and mine was rubbish. It was on the Maastricht European Treaty - need I say more, apart from 'sorry'?"

Indeed Mr Evans made a rocky start to his political career in East Lancashire.

First of all he lost the Ribble Valley by-election to Liberal Democrat Mike Carr.

Having regained the seat for the Tories a few months later he was soon in trouble with then Prime Minister John Major for the rebellious, Euro-sceptic views he displayed in that maiden speech. He was told by many to keep quiet if he ever wanted to make the front bench.

Nigel managed to keep his mouth shut on the subject and after Labour's 1997 General Election landslide found himself as the Conservative junior constitutional spokesman on Welsh Affairs.

He did a pretty good job and under Iain Duncan Smith he made the Shadow Cabinet and was seen to be a rising star.

But when Michael Howard took over, he was offered demotion from the party top table and returned to the back benches.

Ironically, his right wing anti-European views are probably more in tune with Mr Howard than either of the previous Tory leaders Mr Evans served under. But it appears Mr Howard has destroyed Mr Evans political career in the higher reaches of Westminster.

But that's Mr Howard and the Tory Party's loss and the Ribble Valley's gain as he can concentrate even more on his constituents' requirements.