Tory candidate risks being dropped in vote row

The Conservative parliamentary candidate for Bromsgrove faces another vote, after the party said it had found an "irregularity" in his selection process.

Bradley Thomas, a district councillor and former council leader in neighbouring Wychavon, was picked by local party members back in July.

The selection was triggered after the current MP, Sajid Javid, announced he would stand down at the next general election.

But after a complaint was made that several of the votes cast were ineligible, Bromsgrove's Conservative association has been told it must hold a "confirmatory vote", to either confirm Bradley Thomas's adoption or restart the entire selection procedure.

Mr Thomas has been approached by the BBC, but is yet to respond.

However, association members have called the intervention by the national party "unprecedented" and "scandalous", and say it is an attempt to take away their democratic choice.

Since the constituency's creation in 1983, Bromsgrove has had a succession of Conservative MPs, and has generally been considered a safe Tory seat. The current MP Sajid Javid won a majority of 23,106 in 2019.

Up until now, the selection of the party's candidate had been largely down to local members.

Sixty six candidates - all vetted by the central office of the party - applied for the role when it was first advertised.

That number was narrowed down by association officers to a shortlist of four, who took part in a hustings in July in front of the district's membership. Bradley Thomas won by five votes.

But the association president Mark Jones complained to the party's national office that a number of members who voted should have been deemed ineligible.

"I think the whole process should be rerun", he said. He added he was not the only one to complain.

A Conservative Party spokesperson confirmed there had been an "irregularity in the selection process" and that a confirmatory vote would now be held by members to confirm Bradley Thomas as their candidate.

Local Conservative members have been told this will be on 14 December.

"Quite frankly it's scandalous," said one local member, who wanted to remain unnamed.

"Members are up in arms at what they see as a CCHQ [Conservative Campaign Headquarters] attempt to take away their local choice.

"Everyone I speak to is worried CCHQ will be able to impose someone as we get closer to a general election.

"Rumours are swirling that we have to have all our candidates in place by January, ready for May elections."

Another association member described it as a "stab in the back".

"I've been told that two people voted who shouldn't have," they added, "How did these people make it in?"

They added that Mr Thomas had given up his role as leader of Wychavon Council and had begun campaigning.

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