Alison Alexander, Montgomeryshire Liberal Democrats chair
Montgomeryshire's Liberal Democrats say they are "saddened" by comments criticising the party from a former MP for the area.
Lembit Opik, Montgomeryshire MP between 1997 and 2010, was expelled from the Liberal Democrats this week - although he has appealed.
Mr Opik's expulsion comes after he appeared as a special guest at an online Conservative Party event hosted in March entitled "How to stop the Lib Dems - an insider's guide", featuring alongside Conservative MP Chris Grayling.
Quoted in advertising material for the event, for which tickets were available at between £6-£12, Mr Opik said the party had become a "parody of itself," and that it had a "disregard for personal liberty".