After the Bow Group chairman Ben Harris-Quinney urged Tories to vote for Ukip in seats where the party can’t win, the Conservative think tank’s patrons issued a statement distancing themselves from the comments. Then when Harris-Quinney appeared on the Daily Politics yesterday to discuss the incident he was accused of being a ‘Walter Mitty’ character who had lied about his titles.
Doubt was cast on his claim that he is the President of Conservatives Abroad Madrid, after the association told the BBC that he held no such title having failed to renew his membership. While Harris-Quinney denies the claims and continues to list himself as president of the organisation, the website has since removed him from their committee page:
Further still, the Bow Group’s meltdown has continued this morning with a number of resignations. Word reaches Steerpike that research fellows Elizabeth Anderson, Sean Garman and Nabil Najjar have all stepped down from the Bow Group’s research council as a result of recent events.
Najjar, a former Chairman of London Conservative Future, explained his decision to Steerpike:
‘For the think tank’s leadership to take such a public stance, at odds with much of its membership, without consulting or even informing its members in advance is a disservice to the Bow Group and its proud history.’
While the Bow Group does indeed have a ‘proud history’ as the longest running Conservative think tank, Mr S suspects that unless current matters are dealt with this may soon cease to be the case.
Update: The plot thickens. Ben Harris-Quinney has responded to the allegations made by Conservatives Abroad Madrid. He makes the point that if the organisation claim he has had no ties to the group since 2012, why did they only get round to removing him from their website last night?
‘My role in a small organisation in Madrid hardly a significant matter, but questioning my integrity is. I stand by what I said in the Daily Politics interview. I was appointed as honorary lifetime President because I founded Conservatives Abroad Madrid. Any dispute of this is a lie. To hold that position there was never a requirement to be a member. Michael Portillo is the branch President, he has made clear many times that he is not the member of any political party.
The website of the branch was changed yesterday evening, not in 2012 as was suggested, and branch members are outraged by CCHQ’s actions. This vindicates what I said on the Daily Politics rather than disproving it. What you are seeing here is a desperate attempt to stifle debate before a crucial election.’
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