Monday 2 December 2013

Tim Yeo dropped as candidate by local Conservative party

The MP Tim Yeo who chairs parliament's Energy Select Committee has been dropped by his local Conservative party as its candidate for the next election.

The Executive Council of the South Suffolk Conservative Association met on Friday evening and voted against re-adopting him in a secret ballot.

Mr Yeo now has three options: accept the decision, appeal against it or reapply in a new selection process.

In a statement the association said: “Mr Yeo is now considering his position and will advise the Executive Council of his intended course of action.”

The association has refused to make any further comment until the Tory MP had made his decision.

Labour claimed the move is a sign the Tory party faithful's attitude to 'green' MPs is getting frostier.

Jon Ashworth MP, Labour’s Shadow Cabinet Office Minister said: “Tim Yeo’s deselection is another sign that under David Cameron the Conservative Party is reverting to type, with no place for those who thought he meant it when he said ‘Vote blue, go green’.

“Just this week one Tory with modernising credentials has been deselected and another has quit and David Cameron is trying to water down a green levy he introduced and even boasted about.”

He pointed to last week's decision by the Conservative MP Laura Sandys – described by Energy Minister Greg Barker as a ‘green hero’ – to step down at the next election.

Last month Mr Yeo was cleared of breaching the lobbying rules for MPs, after he was covertly filmed by Sunday Times reporters posing as representatives of a green energy firm. In the video he appeared to say he would he would take money to approach ministers on behalf of their fake firm.