UKIP MEP defector to Tories/AECR de-selected, Hannan re-selected

[compromise]

http://conservativehome.blogs.com/pa...eselected.html

As if any further proof of grassroots dissatisfaction were needed, I've just been told by two sources that Richard Ashworth MEP - the Leader of the Conservative MEP Group in the European Parliament - and Marta Andreasen MEP - who recently defected from UKIP - have been deselected as candidates for the South East of England in next year's Euro elections.

This is significant not only because it suggests party members are becoming more willing than ever to flex their muscles on what they feel to be substandard representatives, but also because of the people who did the flexing. The regional electoral college is not the full membership of the party, it is their elected representatives - regional and constituency officials, representatives of bodies like the Conservative Women's Organisation and others who can hardly be described as disruptive elements, extremists or, whisper it, "swivel-eyed loons".

So not only will the Conservative MEPs be looking for a new Leader rather soon, the party leadership is in receipt of a rather unequivocal message. If even the reputedly tame electoral college is sacking sitting MEPs and rejecting defectors whom the leadership chose to let into the Conservative fold, they have serious problems.

**UPDATE**

Further to the above, an examination of the bizarre selection rules shows that today's vote - the most severe rebuke the electoral college can give to sitting MEPs - means Ashworth and Andreasen will now go into the general postal ballot of the membership.

As we have covered on ConHome before, the selection process is heavily biased in favour of sitting MEPs. Today's vote means that while Daniel Hannan and Nirj Deva have been reselected as MEPs, and thus have special privileges which put them at the top of the regional list, Andreasen and Ashworth lose those privileges.

Now it is down to the Conservative Party members in the South East to decide where on the list they should be ranked. Towards the top might offer them some chance of being returned as MEPs, anything outside the top two or three at a push would mean almost zero chance of re-election and as the shortlist will contain more names than there are seats, they may be dumped from the list altogether.

Assuming, of course, that after today's humiliation they decide to continue in the process at all.

Andreasen left UKIP to avoid being de-selected by them. Seems it didn't turn out too well. She still has a chance at becoming an MEP, but will need to perform well in a closed primary with voters in her South East England constituency first.

Hannan's re-selected, so he skips the primary stage, which is great news.

[compromise]

Turncoat Andreasen in the European Parliament

[gwax23]

hannan should just join UKIP already. The tories are a dying party.

[Smart3]

hannan should just join UKIP already. The tories are a dying party.

If UKIP is successful in the IN/OUT Referendum, then they will presumably rejoin the Tories.

Scotland becoming independent will help the Tories maintain control over the country for most of the next century, especially if Wales and Northern Ireland also leave.

[compromise]

hannan should just join UKIP already. The tories are a dying party.

Hannan mostly sticks with the Tories because he has lots of friends in the Tory establishment, and the Tories give him a lot of funding to do all the trips and hold all the events he does. They got him into the Republican National Convention last year, where he probably would not have gone had he been in UKIP.

[gwax23]

Fair enough. Smart your analysis is interesting. I personally would like to see scotland secede for this very reason. The rump UK would be more conservative and as a result its Conservative party will aswell. But even in this scenario I dont see UKI{ rejoining tories anytime soon. If anything they will strengthen their libertarian positions and take over the Lib Dems as third major party. Or in the case scotland secedes I can see them overtaking even Labour depending on how the tories respond to things.

[sailingaway]

that happened with a key delegate for us in Colorado as I recall.

amazing how similar selling out for power can be.