The leader of Wycombe District Council has praised the town’s MP for being prepared to “stand up for his convictions” over the EU, after he made front page headlines this weekend.

Steve Baker made waves after announcing he would chair a 50-strong alliance of MPs preparing the ground for an "out" campaign in the upcoming EU referendum.

And Katrina Wood, who took over the WDC leadership last month, said she respects Mr Baker’s resolve to put his head above the parapet.

She told the BFP: “It’s great that he has got his convictions, he knows where he is going and is prepared to stand up and be counted. I think he’s always been like that, whatever he has believed in and votes the way he thinks, the way he believes is best.

"It’s great because you know if you’ve got a politician who will stand up for his own convictions, he will stand up for you and he will stand up for the residents."

Conservative Cllr Wood said she was still “on the fence” over the issue of Britain’s eventual membership of the EU following the in-out referendum which will be held before the end of 2017.

And the councillor, who has a background in the financial sector, said issues including how and who the UK trades with will be key in making up her mind.

She said: "You read Steve’s comments and yes they make you think, do we just want a Europe trade market, or should we have a worldwide-trade.

"Also migration is an issue, so again it’s very difficult trying to weigh it up.

“Steve is very strong in his own convictions, he knows what he believes and I imagine he’s done a lot of work on it before he has come out like this, and time will tell which way we will go.

"I am sitting on the fence on it a little bit because I genuinely don’t know; I haven’t made my mind up on it yet.”