Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

The only possible way to vote in a General election is to vote for the party you think is right for the country.. unless any potential local candidate is expected to be a minister in a Government or could have a influence in national policy..Boris Johnston and Ken Livingstone are examples.. but they are the few... Ken Heargreaves the Tory MP for Accrington hated Thatchers Government but he had little influence on policy.

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

A lot of clowns prefer to join a travelling circus, so they're hardly any bother to us back in the U.K.

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

Ken Hargreaves was a Thatcherite right down to his cotton socks, so I don't know where you got that wild idea from.

People prefer, given an option, a local M,P, which Hyndburn has had since 1983, and is presumably why the local Conservatives are so keen on another, even if they've been twice rejected already, rather than some hug-a-hoodie toff, sent by Cameron.

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

Greg Pope wasn't a member of the Cabinet, yet he was elected as M.P. for Hyndburn four times, and even with the government's unpopularity, was odds on to win the sat a fifth time.

The majority of people liked him. Liked him for being local, and understanding of issues that are relevant to Hyndburn. They like the fact he was his own man, not afraid to speak out against party policy and rebel, which he did over the proposed tax changes.

Like it or not, the abilities and personality of prospective candidates do matter to Joe Bloggs.

Speaking personally I'd vote for Rosemary West, over Hazel Blears, everytime, if they were standing here in Hyndburn.

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

I'm sure the local Labour party appreciate everything you personally do to help promote the cause you believe in.

Conservatives are all Thatcher's Devil spawn.

Labour is good.

That's on a balanced day.

Sometimes, on a bad night, the name calling gets much worse, really vile and nasty.

I'm sure local party activists appreciate you reaching out from your London Manor, and helping them in their cause, to retain Hyndburn as a Labour seat.

You might even be honoured for all the work you do.

The Conservatives have their woeful handicaps on here, and the opposition is similarly weighed down.

Ying & yang.

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

Well I'll take your word for it.. but I did hear different..Ken has gone down in my estimate but then I never voted for him.

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

I don't rely on hearsay, I know so.

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

Though on some issues, abortion for instance, I think old Thatch was a bit too much of a liberal lefty for his liking.

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

That's very touching, but I don't think any "activists" of Labour appreciate what I say or take a blind bit of notice..as you say it is more likely a hanidcap.. but it's a cross I bare.:rolleyes:

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

...or a cross they have to bear.

Ying and yang.

Jaysay and andrewb bringing ridicule to the Tory camp, and as a counter balance, there's your support for Labour.

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

Jaysay and Andrew do a fine job..and like I said I doubt anyone swaying between Labour and Tory take any notice of me.. or you.

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

I certainly don't attribute Mancie to the 'Labour camp'. He has his own views, many of which I disagree with. If he believes Labour are the best party for him out of the main two, then thats his choice. His opinions are his own, only a narrow minded person attempting to win petty arguments would try and attribute non-elected individuals thoughts to that of the party, or the party to them. There are probably quite a few people who have made their mind up who to vote for, you don't need to start labelling them and putting them in little boxes.

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

:rofl38::rofl38::rofl38::rofl38:

You really are a card.

Unintentionally funny, but hilarious none the less.

Now talking of little boxes, have you tided your bedroom, and put all those toys away?

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

They might be swayed by your support for Labour, and pure hatred of the Conservatives, when it gets really personally abusive. Though I couldn't say which way.

Though you're right, no one will take any notice of me. Nor should they.

I'm just Joe Average, non-partisan, and just waiting who to decide to vote for, when the full field of candidates is eventually published.

Incidentally there are five guaranteed names put forward for the ballot paper so far in Hyndburn.

Labour, BNP, Christian Peoples (sic) Alliance, Liberal Democrats, and the English Democrats.

Let's hope the Conservatives stop all this bickering, and arrive at some compromise soon, so us ordinary Joes can decide who we want to represent us in Westminster.

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

..and I'm sure right now all those five people, and their parties, are working hard in canvassing support, whilst the Tories bicker amongst themselves.

As posted earlier, this is the best chance they've had for years, and they could be throwing it all way, because they couldn't locally be united with the national Conservative party.

If I was a local party activist for the Conservative party, I'd be spitting feathers at this shambles. Fuming.

Purely as an innocent bystander, I think what is going on is bad for democracy in the consituency.

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

yep he was, can't recall him being broadly detested though throughout Hyndburn by many.:confused: must be a differance these days.:D

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

Politics aside, as a man, I would also say he was very well liked.

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

I doubt any personal abuse from me sways even one voter... the Tories have always been a step back for this country, but they will always be there.. like dog **** in the park and that is what I oppose.

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

Perhaps all this anger is really self-loathing, because you are the epitome of a Tory success story.

Left the decaying industrial north, peddling away, with Tebbit's words ringing in your ears.

Off to the soft south, to see if the streets of London really were paved with gold.

Found that they were, in Bermondsey.

Found health, wealth, and the love of a good women.

The rest is history.

If I was at Satchi's I'd have you up on a hoardings poster.

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

now I know you are taking the pee..but on a lighter note I suppose it was clutchin at straws to believe Ken the Con was not a Thatcherite.

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

Vote for your britcliffe,hargeaves,kev horkin and whoever else in there sec to take over hyndburn.it wont matter,they are already doing what they want anyway.central goverment will do what they do also whoever gets in. however i'll tell you this though !! . ive worked with graham jones for a few years ( as in normal working employment ) and he is basically a very honest chap.do you want the same old maffia? think about it before you leap folks :eek:

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

Anyone living or working in London knows it is not a soft touch...you gets what your deserve and you get nowt for free.

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

In the seventeen years I lived there I found eveyone very obliging.

Bend over backwards, as soon as look at you.

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

Thankfully Peter's little friend Kevin Horkin, isn't standing. It's preacher of hate, Kevin Logan.

It's interesting to read what you say about Graham Jones.

I've never spoken to him. The only information I know personally is from two friends off here, who I go to the theatre with, and who have him as a councillor, and they speak very highly of him, and the work he does for the people he represents in that ward.

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

Can't say I've had the same welcome.. could be my aftershave.:rolleyes:

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

Anyway, shouldn't you be out campaiging, to try and secure your Manor for Labour?

Must be awful having that bleedin' heart liberal Simon Hughes as your MP. The one who only apologised for his part in the dirtiest, most homophobic, by-election in living memory, when his sexual orientation was outed in the Sun, twenty three years after the event.

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

Yes it's not the ideal.. but it must be awful to have an elected Tory MP for most of the 80's in a town that was battered to the ground by the then Tory Government.. like I said votes in General elections are not really a vote for the best bloke/woman for the job.. but for the party you think will benefit from your vote.. so the vote goes to the candidate who is not Tory

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

Even taking into account the boundary changes, judging from past results, the Conservatives in Bermondsey have such a small percentage of the vote, they haven't a cat in Hell's chance of winning.

Since there's a similarly nonexistent chance of the Liberal Democrats forming the next government, it looks like the people of your constituency are voting for the candidate soley because of his personality, which rather quashes your argument that people vote for party, rather than person.

If I lived there I'd be doing my best to unseat the hypocritical Simon Hughes, partly because until he fought the dirtiest by-election in living history, the seat had been solidly Labour, so there'd be a good chance of unseating him.

Southwark North and Bermondsey: Constituency | Politics | guardian.co.uk

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

Well that's news to me, and I was one of Kens team, Ken Hargreaves disagreed with some of Thatchers policy such as the Community Charge, and voted accordingly in the house, but to say he hated the Thatcher government is totally wrong

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

This was the double post a while back (I found it);

RESIGN NOW
From the Lancashire Evening Telegraph, first published Monday 8th Jan 1996.

IS it not high time that Hugh Hammond Heffner Neil did the decent thing and resigned as the Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate in Hyndburn?

Barely a day goes by without some statement or other being issued by him, where he repeatedly claims that his CVs are correct "as everyone knows." This is obviously wrong, as the many articles in the Press have shown.

From the start, Mr Neil has claimed that only a small group were working against him, but that has now taken a nasty turn, as he is now claiming that a couple of racist bigots were responsible.

This is an outrageous statement to make, and he should first reveal exactly who these two are, and secondly apologise publicly for the foul slur on their good names.

If he fails to do this, then presumably he has only himself to blame for what may follow.

G G BROADHURST, Sharples Street, Accrington.

QUESTIONABLE ATTRIBUTES
From the Lancashire Evening Telegraph, first published Thursday 18th Jan 1996.

THE astonishing Hugh Neil affair has left a number of high level Tories with a considerable amount of egg on their faces. Quite how the Conservative candidate for Hyndburn managed to evade exposure for so long is not only a mystery, but an acute embarrassment for Central Office which approved him and the local association which selected him.

To its credit, Hyndburn set about unloading Mr Neil as soon as it became clear he had enough skeletons in his cupboard to launch several pathology labs. Once he had played his highest card - the much-feared rascist accusation - and had that one well and truly trumped, he slung his hook.

Of course, there are those who believe that Mr Neil had all the attributes required to be a politician, not the least being an ability to lie through his back teeth while staring you straight in the eye.

The defence rests.

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

'RIGGED VOTE' FURY OF DITCHED TORY
From the Lancashire Evening Telegraph, first published Thursday 28th Dec 1995.

CLAIMS by prospective Parliamentary candidate Hugh Neil of "vote rigging" have been denied by Hyndburn Conservative Association.

According to Mr Neil only one-tenth of the Association's 400 members were notified of a meeting at Oswaldtwistle Conservative Club when there was a vote of no confidence in his candidacy.

Mr Neil has also claimed the meeting was attended by 20 people from Rossendale Conservative Association who were not eligible to vote and are not members of the Association.

Hyndburn Association treasurer Derek Scholes said letters were sent out to all but 17 members, who had either indicated they wanted no correspondence or were very elderly.

He added that the people from Rossendale were eligible to vote because of new wards which were now within the Hyndburn constituency. According to Mr Neil, some members were so disgusted by his treatment they left and tore up their membership cards.

He added: "This rigged and disgraceful meeting does not reflect the feeling of the majority of the Conservative Association members."

Mr Neil has also claimed his late parents have been insulted and he has been the subject of discrimination.

Jim Foster, a vice-chairman of the Association, who is supporting Mr Neil said it was "pretty disgusting" that a copy had been obtained of the late Coun Mrs Ambrozine Neil's will.

Association deputy chairman Stan Horne denied either of Mr Neil's parents had been insulted.

He said "I believe Coun Mrs Neil was a delightful person and very well respected within the Party," he added.

He understood officers from North West area had obtained a copy of the late Mrs Neil's will following a statement by Mr Neil about an inheritance.

SUPPORT FOR TORY UNDER FIRE
From the Lancashire Evening Telegraph, first published Thursday 4th Jan 1996.

HYNDBURN residents and politicians have voiced support for prospective Tory MP Hugh Neil, who faces de-selection by the area's Conservative Association.

Mr Neil received a vote of no confidence after Tory officials compiled a dossier which they said contained details of discrepancies in his CV, dating back to the 1980s.

Concern for Mr Neil's future is echoed by fellow Conservative Rennie Pinder.

Mr Pinder, ward chairman for Altham, Enfield and Huncoat, insisted Mr Neil was an excellent politician.

"This has come as a blow to the party and knocked us off-course for the next general election.

"I have worked alongside Mr Neil for some time and he has gained a lot of respect. No one is perfect and his past mistakes, on which some people are concentrating, seem trivial."

Tory councillor Jim Foster agreed: "The discrepancies in Mr Neil's CV has been blown out of all proportion."

Councillor Foster's wife Sandra was Mr Neil's voluntary secretary until late last year but she refrained from comment.

Bob Tuffnell, of Within Grove, Huncoat, a member of Huncoat Residents' Association, said that, as individuals, local people supported Mr Neil.

He said: "He is prepared to meet residents face-to-face. He is prepared to stand up to fight for us. We need someone like him to represent us and want him to know that we are here for him."

Another HRA member Sue Gradwell added: "Anyone who supports us is all right by me and he has a lot of positive ideas."

Mr Neil is now facing a January 16 deadline - when he will find out whether he will stand in the next general election - and is canvassing by post the association's members who did not attend the December 12 meeting.

But Hyndburn Conservative Association chairman Win Frankland referred to this as the "action of a desperate man".

MATHS PROBLEM
From the Lancashire Evening Telegraph, first published Friday 5th Jan 1996.

IT would appear that the Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate for Hyndburn, Hugh Neil, not only has trouble with producing an accurate CV, but also has a little trouble with his maths as well.

In your article, (LET, December 28), Mr Neil states that the vote of no confidence in his candidacy at a special meeting of Hyndburn Conservative Association was rigged and that only one tenth of the 400 members were informed of the meeting and that 20 members from Rossendale were there and were not entitled to vote.

First, the Rossendale issue: as I have it, there were 15 members from the two Haslingden wards (not 20 as stated by Mr Neil) which now form part of the Hyndburn constituency.

Therefore, they had every right to be there and every right to take part in any vote. In fact, Mr Neil made no mention of the members who were only enrolled a matter of weeks before that meeting to bolster his support.

Now, let's take a look at Mr Neil's figures. There are some discrepancies.

He states that only one tenth of members were informed of the meeting. If, as he says, there are 400 members, even leaving out the Rossendale members, there were 55 in attendance. Now, a tenth of 400 when I went to school was 40.

Also given the fact that there were 52 apologies for absence received - which makes around 107 who definitely knew about the meeting - this rather blows a hole in another Hugh Neil statement.

From the other angle, if one tenth of the membership is 107 then Hyndburn was 1,070 members. I know treasurer Derek Scholes has done a great job on membership recruitment, but I don't think he has done that well.

JOHN D FARRER, Mallard Place, Oswaldtwistle.

SHUT UP OR SUE US MR NEIL
From the Lancashire Evening Telegraph, first published Tuesday 16th Jan 1996.

UP FOR the chop tonight, Hyndburn candidate Hugh Neil, the bizarre young man who aimed to become Britain's first black Tory MP, fires a remarkable parting broadside as his deception of his party and the voters reaps a come-uppance.

He accuses us of falsehood.

And, at a public meeting, he launches a vicious personal attack on Lancashire Evening Telegraph journalist Rosalind Train, saying it would be a miracle if she wrote one thing that was truthful.

Let him understand this: we stand by every word we have written about him.

And we stand by our reporter, whose experience and professionalism he seeks to impugn.

Mr Neil, of course, is a desperate man. For he has been exposed by us as a sham, a liar and a person not fit, by law, to be an MP.

He has exaggerated his background and credentials - literally beyond belief.

He has been revealed by us to be an undischarged bankrupt.

Yet, even when dismissing this fact as a "wild accusation," he was actually seeking to have his bankruptcy discharged - as we disclosed last night.

And, as he claims to be the victim of a racist smear campaign, let him understand also that our exposure of the truth about him has, simply, been in the public interest and has nothing to do with the colour of his skin.

It matters not to us whether he is black, white or polka-dot.

Of course, if he doubts that or disputes anything we have written, he has recourse to the law - that covering racial discrimination and that pertaining to libel.

So we say: Sue us, Mr Neil.

Or, for goodness sake, shut up - and clear off.

It is Mr Neil alone, not us or anyone else, who is the author of his misfortune.

As he is deselected tonight it is all that he deserves.

IS THIS WHY THEY WANT TO GAG THE PRESS?
From the Lancashire Evening Telegraph, first published Friday 12th Jan 1996.

SO THE shambles of Hyndburn candidate Hugh Neil's bid to become Britain's first black Tory MP reaches new heights of sham and farce today - with this newspaper's revelation that the man is an undischarged bankrupt.

And that's on top of all the other things he is, or isn't - in contradiction to his glittering CV that dazzled the gullible Tory selectors.

Embarrassing for them?

Too right, it is.

After all, the man they picked could not, as an undischarged bankrupt, be an MP anyway - by law.

And that's apart from the fuss and fury so far over Mr Neil allegedly lying about his background and the row he stoked up with claims that racist bigots in Hyndburn were out to get him.

But now that he awaits the formality of inevitable deselection, having already been mortally wounded by the Tory association's vote of no confidence, is there not one question that Conservatives at Hyndburn and, moreover, at the party's Central Office need to answer?

Namely, if this newspaper could find out the truth about Mr Neil, why couldn't they?

Just how does a person who is an undischarged bankrupt - never mind, all the other bogus stuff in the background which Mr Neil gave the party - get on the approved list of candidates?

Does no-one check?

Amazingly, Central Office today says it has a comprehensive system for checking the background of candidates.

Well, they could have fooled us.

According to the chairman at Hyndburn, who presided over this debacle, all they relied on was the integrity of the people putting themselves forward.

They have certainly made fools of themselves - and virtually lost any chance they had of clawing back this important marginal seat.

But now the embarrassing truth is out, let us reflect on where it came from - the inquiries of a newspaper investigating the real story in the public interest.

And let us reflect, too, why so many politicians are keen on laws to gag the press - if it is in their interest to keep secret the truth about themselves.

For make no mistake about it, if privacy laws as envisaged had ever come about we would have had a well nigh impossible task in exposing Mr Neil's deception.

TORIES IN BITTER WAR OF WORDS
From the Lancashire Evening Telegraph, first published Thursday 11th Jan 1996.

THE SPLIT between Hyndburn Conservative members widened this week as would-be MP Hugh Neil returned to the borough to prepare for his de-selection meeting.

Conservative association chairman Win Frankland described Mr Neil as being "on the verge of committing professional and political suicide."

The prospective parliamentary candidate retaliated by saying Miss Frankland and her supporters were "out of touch with modern politics."

Miss Frankland, who has served the association for 30 years, added that she has a "good idea of which way things will go" at the decisive meeting on January 16.

She said she had received a great deal of support since Mr Neil was given a vote of no-confidence when Hyndburn Conservative Association met to discuss discrepancies in his CV.

"People want a candidate to be squeaky clean," explained Miss Frankland, who initiated investigations into Mr Neil's CV last October.

"Mr Neil continues to misrepresent himself every time he is questioned about his past."

She continued: "I don't feel that the association can trust him. He is a very charismatic man but lacks the control needed to be a top politician."

A clearly angry Mr Neil, who is 33 on Saturday, fumed: "I'm a good politician and willing to go out and get involved."

He added that his CV was an honest representation of his achievements.

He said recent events were destroying the association. "We look set to lose the general election now. We had stood a good chance of winning it."

But Miss Frankland insisted: "I think the constituency has been brought together by recent events."

Hyndburn's Labour MP Greg Pope said: "It is clear that there is the same disarray at local level as national level."

Yesterday (Jan 10) Hugh Neil inferred he would sue London-based Afro-Caribbean newspaper The Voice.

It had published an article which made allegations about his private life.

Stan Horne, deputy chairman of the association, also said he was considering legal action against the paper.

RACE CARD
From the Lancashire Evening Telegraph, first published Friday 19th Jan 1996.

SO THE ghost of Hugh Neil has finally been laid to rest and the actions of the officers of the Hyndburn Conservative Association have been totally justified.

Even so there are questions that need to be answered.

Just what did Mr Neil hope to gain by carrying on with his masquerade - even when he knew he had been rumbled?

Why play the race card - when this was never the issue and he knew it? We must also ask questions of those people who gave him total support.

At worst, they can be seen as stupid to take the word of a man they had only known for nine months against that of people who have worked for the local party for years.

At best, they can be charged with total lack of judgment. Whichever is the case, I feel rather sorry for these people - most of whom I know personally and have always held with the highest regard - that they have been totally betrayed by this man.

Let us now hope we can get back to the business of bashing Comrade Slynn and the Brothers and finding a genuine candidate who will wrest a seat back for the Tories which has been on loan to Greg Pope for the past few years.

JOHN D FARRER, Mallard Place, Oswaldtwistle.

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

:rofl38::rofl38::rofl38::rofl38::rofl38::rofl38::r ofl38::rofl38::rofl38:

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

I was living in London at this time, but do remember reading about this utter fiasco in the press.

Eventually they settled on the second best candidate to Hugh Neil, Peter Britcliffe, who romped home to the first of his two consecutive General Election defeats.

What a carry on.

I hope they get their current arguments settled more easily this time.

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

Oh i doubt they will, but wi you theres now 2 of us near hyper ventilating, cos it cracked me up big time.:D

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

It's certainly brought some much needed laughter in the post-Christmas lull.

:p

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

"Some of the people in the Conservative Party at Hyndburn make the Ku Klux Klan look liberal."
Black Tory says racism behind deselection vote - News - The Independent

Blimey, little old Hyndburn making national news headlines.

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

Some Tories are already predicting the result here in Hyndburn.

Apparently a win for Labour.

Talk about a defeatist attitude before you start...or even come up with a candidate short-list they can all agree on.

There’s quite a wide range of plausible results in Hyndburn – not an easy one – this is my most likely.
2009/2010
Lab 18,141 41.8% -3.9%
Con 15,320 35.3% +3.3%
LD 5,382 12.4% -1.8%
BNP 3,689 8.5% +2.3%
UKIP 868 2.0% +0.1%
Total votes 43,400
Lab majority 2,821 6.5%
LAB HOLD
Swing 3.6% from Lab to Con
ukpollingreport.co.uk » Hyndburn

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

Well theres one thing about these threads it allows Rindi to top up his post count with crap:D

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

I though it fascinating John that you played a key role at the time. Obviously things have moved on and it was a trip down memory lane. Bit like Keva Coombes for Labour.

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

Unfortunately I was in hospital when Hugh Neill was selected so played no part in his selection, but I had a very big part in getting rid of the charlatan :D

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

Care to give any examples, that aren't loosely relevant to the subject?

Unlike the post I've just quoted of your's, which is merely another bitter snipe at a fellow member, and nothing at all to do with the subject of the thread, the Conservative's inability to come up with candidate short-list.

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

'For someone who also has had the pleasure of being chairman in a NW seat over the last year; having experienced both the CCHQ process directly most recently, had decent input from the NW office and deals with an Association who have an aging activism at its core on a daily basis.
I would say ‘Communication, Communication, Communication!’ As I understand it, the Hyndburn association do have the odd maverick, however the ‘London-centric’ CCHQ will not have much of idea where actually Hyndburn is!'

'I should think "those in London" simply want to get on and try to win the winnable seat. It's ridiculous that this seat has n't selected yet and cryptic messages about "local issues" are n't good enough particularly when an election is so close.'
ConservativeHome's Seats & Candidates blog: Mystery surrounds why "classic Labour-Conservative marginal" Hyndburn is yet to select a Conservative candidate

Some of the other commentator's thoughts are quite illuminating too.

I wonder who the local Conservative 'odd maverick' is?

:rolleyes:

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

The delays caused by the arguments over the Conservative short-list in Hyndburn, seems to be detrimentally effecting the odds in this marginal seat, according to William Hill.

Hyndburn - Seat Winner - All Markets

Bet until : 31 Jan 10 - 17:00

Seat Winner
Selection Odds Conservative 8/11 Labour EVS Liberal Democrat 33/1 BNP 50/1

http://sports.williamhill.com/bet/EN...at-Winner.html

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

The only thing Hyndburn Tories want is to select the candidate WE want not some people sat round a table in CCO, infact wondering where Hindburn is ( thats what they used to call Hyndburn whenever I rang in my active days) Notice it has only taken me 1 post to get my point across not 24:rolleyes:

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

Care to say who YOU want, and put your money where your mouth is?

:rolleyes:

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

The only one I've ever want that's PB

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

Peter Britcliffe?

The second best candidate after Hugh Neil in the nineties, who has already stood twice in General Elections in Hyndburn, and been twice rejected?

No wonder the Conservatives at national level don't seem so keen.

I wonder what odds William Hill would give if your favoured person was selected?

Considering past form, I'm guessing they wouldn't be that favourable.

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

...and that's not taking into account the people on here, who when he threw his hat in, and even though some have voted Conservative in the past, said they would never vote for him in a million years.

The best of British, is all I can say.

;)

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

I had already decided not to vote at all, but if PB stood I would vote.....
against him

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

That makes three women on here who have stated as much.

Perhaps we should send this telling evidence to CCHQ, so they can decide how hard to fight the local Conservative party over this issue.

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

http://www.accringtonweb.com/forum/f...m-p-47895.html

Prepared to share now, who you think might win the battle?

Jaysay's publicly come out in favour of Cllr. Britcliffe.

It's a pity we don't have a betting on here anymore.

We could have run a book.

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

Did Peter Britcliffe come second to Hugh Neil in the original candidate poll, before the 1997 election, and was thus second best by default, or did you have a fresh poll, after you'd deselected Mr. Neil?

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

'I understand from friends whom live in Clayton le Moors that delays are down, in no small part, to CCHQ.'
ConservativeHome's Seats & Candidates blog: Mystery surrounds why "classic Labour-Conservative marginal" Hyndburn is yet to select a Conservative candidate

Really quite enlightning these comments as to the delay.

I, like many, really can't make an informed choice, as to how I'll vote in this very important election, until all the candidates have been declared offically.

It's really very frustrating.

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

The reason for the delay is that we will not have a list forced on us by central office end off, in fact they may just get told where to stick their list, as they probable wouldn't dare go aganst the wises of grass routs members in Hyndburn

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

that i find difficult to accept, fer one thing- wises?:D:D

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

Like I said, the best of British.

I hope democracy triumphs.

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

I will have to hit the keys harder cashy wishes was my meaning:D

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

Well the bottom line is I won't have any say in the selection proses, for two reasons firstly The candidate is selected by members attending the meeting, no proxy nor postal votes aloud, as I will be unable To attend the meeting, I will not be going to the meeting for health reasons. The second is that to vote you have to be a paid up party member, at this moment in time I have my membership renewal form sat on my desk and its been there for two weeks and as I said to Graham Jones last week on here, I would not be renewing it if they forced a candidates list on Hyndburn or even tried

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

I wasn't being ironic. If the grass-root members of a party, the ones who've worked tirelessly year after year, don't have a say in who they can select, I can see why you would be fighting for the right to chose your own candidate, otherwise it isn't democratic.

Happily being non-partisan, and never having been a member of any political party, I've never had to worry about such power struggles.

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

The only question is, how long can such a struggle go on?

In theory the election could be called at anytime before June, all the other major candidates have been announced, and they are busy canvassing, leaving less time to fight in an election that could be the closest in years.

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

Everyone appears to be gearing up for a May election, to coincide with local council elections.

I suppose the one thing in the Conservative's favour is that people won't have got 'fed up' of seeing the candidate by then, as sometimes happens if you over do it with canvassing.

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

It all depends who wins the power struggle, and who the eventual candidate is, as to whether or not the people of Hyndburn are sick and tired of seeing their candidate's face.

:rolleyes:


This all reminds me of the old Labour party trying to reinvent themselves, and their struggle with Militant tendency.

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

I would think early next month, and I honestly don't know the date of the meeting, when I do I'll let you know, but better not PM you hey:D

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

I'd like to take back that I think you're dishonourable.

I did trust you not to be so underhand, but deep down I know you aren't dishonest.

For one thing if you were so untrustworthy, my grandmother wouldn't have thought so highly of you.

Let's now draw a line in the sand, and concentrate on more important matters, like the actual subject of a thread.

:D

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

Again I agree, and of course your grandmother was a great judge of character, as well as being a lovely lady:D

Re: Potential Conservative Candidate for Parliament
 

Is it an imposed candidate list, seeing as if your preferred candidate, and presumably the local party's choice, hasn't made the selection stage?