Image source, Getty Images
- author, Jessica Parker
- role, BBC News
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Conservative chairman Richard Holden looks set to be demoted to a safe seat at the last minute, against the wishes of his local Conservative allies.
Two senior local Conservative party figures told the BBC that Mr Holden was the only national party nominated candidate to represent the Basildon-Billericay constituency in Essex, with one of them saying it was an “insult” to the local Conservative party.
Ministers told the BBC that the measure had been “taken like a cold”.
Since 2019, Holden has represented Northwest Durham, about 300 miles further north.
But his seat was set to be abolished as part of a planned overhaul of English constituency boundaries ahead of this year’s elections, forcing him to find an alternative.
Holden did not respond to a request for comment. A Conservative spokesman said: “We do not comment on elections.”
“shocking”
The Conservative candidate said: “I speak for so many people who are outraged.
“There are several ministers who are competing in close seats and they are bracing for defeat.
“Not only has Richard given himself a safe seat, he’s adopted an absurd process that no one has ever heard of before. It’s astonishing.”
It comes as the Conservative party scrambles to complete its slate of candidates ahead of Friday’s deadline for registration.
The Basildon-Billericay constituency has been represented since 2001 by veteran Conservative MP John Barron, who announced he was leaving Parliament last October.
He won the seat for the Conservatives in the last election with a majority of 20,412 votes, making the area an attractive area for a Conservative candidate in this election.
The local association’s chairman, Richard Moore, told the BBC that they planned to choose three candidates from national parties ahead of a meeting to select the candidate.
“I don’t know him.”
But he said the party’s central candidate committee called him first and said, “You only have to choose one person.”
He added that local councillors were “very upset” that the party had waited until two days before the deadline for nominations to be submitted.
“All this could have been done in March or April,” he said, adding that the Centre Party had “left this lying around for seven months.”
“The people of my constituency have never met Richard Holden. We don’t know him. We don’t know what he’s done,” he added.
“Yes he is chairman of the party but so what? What has he done for Basildon and Billericay? Nothing.”
Local Conservative MP Andrew Baggott also criticised the tactics, saying it was “an insult to local councillors, volunteers and members”.
He said association members were “exploring” options to challenge the decision.
A meeting of Basildon Conservative Association’s executive committee is due to be held on Wednesday evening to discuss next steps.
“Obviously, time is running out because nominations have to be submitted by 4pm on Friday,” Mr Baggott told PA media.
“We need to organize people. This has been deliberately left until the last minute so that no action can be taken.”
The Labour Party leadership battle has been in the spotlight in recent days, with left-wing candidates including Jeremy Corbyn’s ally Diane Abbott in the running.
But the procedures taken by the Conservatives, who will need to fill dozens of seats by Friday, have also frustrated local party chapters.
As the party scrambles to fill vacancies, the selection process has seen several Conservative advisers selected to compete in seats that are relatively safe for the party.
Will Tanner, an adviser to Chancellor Rishi Sunak, was selected as the candidate for Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket constituency after it was reported he was on a list of three candidates drawn up by the central office.
Mr Sunak’s deputy political secretary, David Goss, is standing in Wellingborough and Rushden, while James Clarke, a former adviser to Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, is standing in Great Yarmouth.
Accelerated Process
Local Conservative associations are typically involved in shortlisting and approving candidates, with national officials approving the selection.
The Labour Party typically gives local chapters a choice of candidates from a centrally approved list.
But with little time left until the July 4 vote, local lawmakers are moving ahead with an accelerated process to fill seats left by lawmakers who have resigned or been suspended, diminishing the role of local lawmakers.
The Labour candidate for Basildon and Billericay is Alex Harrison, with Stephen Conley standing for Reform UK and Stuart Goshawke for the Green Party.
The full list of candidates will be published on the BBC’s website after the legal deadline for nominations on Friday.
