It seems that all is not well with the once-mighty Tory ground game. After a thumping set of election defeats last month, a worrying new trend has developed for the Conservatives. They are not only losing more wards in council by-elections; they now seem unable to field candidates, even in seats still represented at Westminster by the surviving 120 Tory MPs. Hardly a healthy sign…
Three weeks ago, the party was unable to field candidates for two by-elections in King’s Lynn and West Norfolk – a seat still held in the Commons by the Tory James Wild. Then, this week, the party could not find someone to stand for a vacant ward in Mel Stride’s patch on Mid Devon District Council. Even when the party does field a candidate in Tory-held constituencies, it seems that there are very few wards that could now be considered truly safe territory.
A devastating example of that was offered last night in Essex. Reform UK won its first seat on Basildon Council after polling 922 votes in the Wickford Park ward, ahead of the Tories on 840. It prompted a late-night ding-dong on the official Tory MPs’ WhatsApp group between local MP Mark Francois and Nigel Huddleston, the party’s co-chairman. Shortly after the count, amid some crowing on the group about a seat held in South Staffordshire, Francois wrote at 00:56 that:
We lost in Wickford.. by 82 votes. Despite absolutely knocking ourselves out, for the best part of six weeks. The fault didn’t lie with the front line troops – it was back at the Chateau.
It prompted Huddleston to reply: ‘Sorry Mark. Know how hard team worked.’ Francois responded ‘No you don’t – you’ve no idea.’ Ouch. One MP told Mr S tonight: ‘It’s hard to say what’s more embarrassing: not fielding a candidate – or losing supposedly safe wards. No change, no chance.’
Let’s hope the renewal programme starts soon eh?
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