Conservative MPs were up in arms last week when a university lecturer, Sean Gabb, set up a web site labelling each as a Europhile or a Eurosceptic.

The site, which has received well over 20,000 hits, was set up by Gabb has as "a service to the democratic process by enabling Conservative Party members to make informed choices about who to select as their prospective parliamentary candidates at the next general election".

Gabb's aim  is to prevent those who put themselves forward as candidates from "deceiving activists on the most important issue of our time - Europe".

The list was compiled from a number of  sources, including a Times assessment of where MPs stood on Europe before the last general election, as well as press cuttings, speeches, and information from party activists.

Gabb defines a Europhile as someone who is generally enthusiastic about EU integration and supportive off the euro, while a sceptic is a member who is generally opposed to further EU integration and committed to saving the pound.  Some MPs have question mark next to their name, indicating either that they have avoided stating a clear position,  they will take the party that regardless of content, or that no information is known about the MP's views.

The site has come under fire from dozens of those listed. Some of these were unhappy about the idea in general, but most were livid at being labelled as a Europhile, or having a question mark beside their name, when they felt they were ardent Eurosceptics.

There are links from the name of the name of each of the MPs who voiced their thoughts about the site or their position via e-mail to the unedited correspondence.

Some of the MPs even threatened legal action. One of the most vociferous respondents was Ian Bruce, MP for South Dorset, who accused Gabb of libelling him him and suggesting that he had been lying to his constituents by describing him as a "don't know",  rather than a Eurosceptic.

After some correspondence, Gabb accepted Bruce's argument that he was a Eurosceptic and reclassified him, although he did not agree that he had libelled Bruce, and the correspondence was closed.

The site is unusual in that in itself is much less interesting than the on-line reactions it has provoked. The messages make lively reading and, depending on your politics, could be seen either as being an entertaining illustration of the "old school" blustery image of the party in opposition, or a solid confirmation that much of the party is united behind William Hague's strong line on Europe