THERE is 'no excuse' for an Oxford MP who admitted hitting an ex-boyfriend during a row, according to a political rival.

James Fredrickson waded in following a confession by Layla Moran, Oxford West and Abingdon's MP. She said had hit the man during a party conference six years ago because she 'felt threatened'.

Ms Moran is one of the favourites to take over as Lib Dem party leader when Sir Vince Cable stands down in May.

Mr Fredrickson, who will stand as the Conservatives’ candidate against Ms Moran in Oxford West and Abingdon whenever the next general election is held, said: “There is no excuse for domestic assault, regardless of the circumstances or the sex of the perpetrator.

READ THE STORY: MP's confession over slap

“[The Lib Dems’ deputy leader] Jo Swinson recently said ‘domestic abuse is a stain on our society’ and that in addressing such abuse, ‘actions speak louder than words’. I support Jo Swinson’s view and hope that the Lib Dems are consistent in taking this approach.”

According to the Safe Lives charity, nearly two million people – mostly women – suffer ‘some form of domestic abuse’ in the UK every year.

In a Twitter post on Saturday, Ms Moran said she wanted to address ‘rumours’ that had begun circulating about her over recent weeks.

She wrote: “In 2013, [her and her ex-boyfriend] had a row at the autumn conference in Glasgow that initially began over a lost computer cable.

“The relationship had come under enormous strain in preceding months and regrettably it escalated and in the heat of the moment I slapped him because I felt threatened.

“We both recognise it wasn’t our finest hour and were, both at the time and continue to be, grateful that the police mediated, and calmed things down.”

She went on to say that she was initially charged but the case was later dropped with no case to answer.

Neil Fawcett, a county councillor who works for Ms Moran, said it was ‘definitely the right decision to get [it] out in the open.’

He said he was ‘proud’ of Ms Moran’s decision, adding that ‘lots of very exaggerated rumours’ had been ‘doing the rounds’.

Responding to Ms Moran’s confession on social media, many linked her post to the looming party leadership contest.

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John Lubbock said: “Please stand. I don’t think this is an issue. Certainly not on the scale of ‘being in a government that enabled austerity and led to the loss of 80 per cent of [Lib Dem] representation in parliament’.”

Others were less supportive. One – along with many other Twitter users – asked: “Does the loss of a computer cable deserve excessive anger that resulted in spending time in police station?”