The Tory stronghold of Basildon and Billericay in Essex has been engulfed in controversy after party chair Richard Holden was imposed as their general election candidate, causing outrage among local party members.
This follows the release of embarrassing footage from February in which Mr. Holden proclaimed his loyalty to the North East of England and denied seeking a safer seat elsewhere.
Despite representing North West Durham, which was dissolved after a boundary review, Holden declined to stand in the neighboring Bishop Auckland, a seat secured by Dehenna Davison in 2019.
Instead, he sought a safer constituency, sparking a fierce dispute between local activists and Rishi Sunak’s leadership team at Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ).
The row is the latest in a series of contentious candidate selections by major parties. On Thursday, June 6, it was revealed that Scottish Tories leader Douglas Ross had been moved to the safe seat of Aberdeenshire North and Moray East, ousting the ailing former MP David Duguid at the last moment.
Holden had previously withdrawn from contests in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich following backlash over his inclusion in the final shortlist. He was also briefly linked to South Northamptonshire.
Initially, the Basildon and Billericay association had resisted Holden’s candidacy, preferring local candidates.
However, they were informed that Holden would be the sole candidate on the shortlist.
The executive committee voted to reject this imposition, sparking a flurry of activity. Councilors were reportedly threatened with losing the party whip if they did not accept Holden.
This ultimatum, which would prevent them from running as Conservative candidates in future elections, forced senior association members to “reluctantly” endorse Holden after what was described as “a gun being held to our heads.”
This bitter episode has cast doubt on local members’ willingness to campaign for Holden, raising concerns that the seat, previously held by John Baron with a majority of 20,412 votes in 2019, could become vulnerable.
Some members are even contemplating defecting to Reform UK in response to the imposition.
Local Leader Condemns Candidate Imposition
Andrew Baggott, the Tory council group leader on Basildon Borough Council, voiced the local anger.
“We’ve known that the seat needed a candidate since last October. CCHQ has fobbed us off for months, and even on Tuesday night, we were told that we would have a group of three candidates to choose from.
“This morning, everything had changed. The imposition of a candidate on the good folk of Basildon and Billericay is absolutely shameful.”
Andrew Baggott
He continued, “From the get-go, it appears that the candidates’ department has been less than honest with the officers of our association, and their attitude seems borderline arrogant.”
He said the executive had very clear criteria for their preferred candidate, and the imposed candidate possesses none of them.
In response, the Conservative Party stated that Holden had answered questions from the association for an hour and a half on Wednesday night.
They cited rules agreed by the party board in May 2024, which allow shortlists to be cut to one candidate 48 hours before the close of nominations, a practice occurring in several constituencies.
They also noted that under the displaced MP agreement, Holden was eligible to seek an alternative seat due to the dissolution of his previous constituency.
A Conservative Party spokesperson added, “Richard Holden was unanimously selected last night for Basildon and Billericay after facing questions from the local association executive.”
As tensions simmer, the future of Basildon and Billericay’s representation hangs in the balance, with local members determined to challenge the decision and assert their right to a democratic selection process.
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