Earlier this month Ben Harris-Quinney stepped down as the chairman of the Bow Group, following internal frictions over the Conservative think tank’s partial Ukip endorsement ahead of the election.
Now Harris-Quinney, who was elected as a Tory councillor earlier this month, has been suspended from the Conservative Party. In an email circulated to staff, a Conservative spokesman reveals the suspension is pending an investigation into the circumstances in which he joined the party ahead of running as a council candidate:
‘Ben Harris-Quinney has been suspended from the Party with immediate effect pending an urgent investigation by the Disciplinary Committee on behalf of the Board. The investigation will also cover the circumstances in which he was able to rejoin his local Association on 5th May 2015 having ceased to be a member since April 2013, and stand as a council candidate on behalf of Party.’
This comes after a complaint was made to the Conservative Party’s disciplinary committee over comments Harris-Quinney made in Russia about gay people. PinkNews reports that he has been recorded accusing the ‘LGBT lobby’ of wanting children to be given sex education lessons on the ‘promotion of a homosexual lifestyle’.
Mr S has contacted Harris-Quinney for comment but is yet to hear back.
Update: Once again, the plot thickens. Harris-Quinney has responded to Mr S, he maintains that he is still a member of his local association:
‘I have just spoken to my local Association and they have confirmed that I remain a Party member. There have been a number of online articles over the past few weeks that are innaccurate and clearly designed to defame my character, this organised campaign appears to have strong links to Conservative Central Office. Last year I received a threat that I would be suspended from the Conservative Party unless I stopped asking awkward questions on issues such as Party management and the historic investigation into child abuse. If the Conservative Central Office wants to shed it’s “Nasty Party” image, it needs to allow for free debate and not pursue organised vendettas and ad hominem attacks against individuals that those in positions of power may disagree with.’
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