WANTAGE MP Ed Vaizey is asking voters to put aside paw-litical persuasion and vote for his pet Pepper as Westminster’s top dog.

Next month, the Conservative MP and his one-year-old Cavapoo will compete against other politicians and their pooches to be crowned Westminster Dog of the Year 2018 in London.

Mr Vaizey has pedigree in pet-related competitions, with the family’s late hamster Scamper finishing runner-up in the Parliamentary Pet of the Year competition two years ago.

Contestants will be judged on the day, but an online ‘paw-blic vote’ is already running online and the MP hopes constituents will support the Cavapoo.

He said: “I understand if people who didn’t vote for me don’t want to back Pepper.

“But I can assure people Pepper is politically neutral and this would be a win for Wantage and Didcot rather than the Conservatives.”

The competition has been organised jointly by Dogs Trust and the Kennel Club and offers politicians a unique chance to show off their four-legged friends.

This year’s event focuses on the negative effect fireworks can have on dogs and what the government can do to better regulate their use.

Contestants will meet at Victoria Tower Gardens in London on Thursday September 6 to have their doggy deeds scrutinised by judges before a final vote.

Mr Vaizey is keen to win the coveted title, despite revealing his allegiances have always been with another popular pet.

He said: “I’ve always been a cat person but my daughter wanted a hamster and after Scamper died she moved her campaign to getting a dog.

“I wasn’t sure how I’d take to dogs but she’s been great company.

“She greets us all warmly in the morning, plays with us, enjoys her walks and then snuggles up with us in the evening.

“She makes us all happier, and our children enjoy looking after her.”

The MP admits he cannot dedicate much quality time to Pepper during the week due to commitments in Westminster, but he uses his time productively at weekends.

He said: “My wife tends to walk her during the week but I spend a lot of time at weekends taking Pepper for long walks along the Ridgeway.”

“A big benefit of owning a dog is that you meet lots of new people – every time we take her for a walk, we meet someone and have a friendly chat.

“It’s a great way to meet people in our constituency."

To vote go to thekennelclub.org.uk/events