Originally Posted by cashman (Post 793229)

agree with what yer saying, but having selected him twice before n he did not win, perhaps they thought you lot were clueless?:D

Originally Posted by garinda (Post 793228)

If there's so much anger locally, because of the imposed candidate list, has it not been suggested that your preferred candidate stands as an independent Conservative candidate, or would that mean he'd lose his seat as a councillor/county councillor?

Originally Posted by cashman (Post 793229)

agree with what yer saying, but having selected him twice before n he did not win, perhaps they thought you lot were clueless?:D

Originally Posted by garinda (Post 793228)

If there's so much anger locally, because of the imposed candidate list, has it not been suggested that your preferred candidate stands as an independent Conservative candidate, or would that mean he'd lose his seat as a councillor/county councillor?

Originally Posted by jaysay (Post 793233)

that would be counter productive, but they wouldn't lose their seat, just go independent

Originally Posted by shillelagh (Post 793244)

i dont think he'd lose his seat on the council or county council but he would have to resign from the conservative party ... to stand as an independent .. but doing so means he wouldnt be leader of the council any more ... as it is the conservatives in control .. also he'd have to do all his leafleting and canvassing etc without backing from the conservatives ..he'd have to pay for everything himself ...

Originally Posted by garinda (Post 793247)

If you stood as an independent, against the candidate chosen for you, would you not have to leave the Conservative party?

It's a similar scenario to when Livingstone stood against the official Labour candidate Dobson, in the first Mayor of London election, and was forced to leave the party.

Still if you're not keen it probably won't be happening, which is a pity for us non-partisan observers to the hurly-burly of political life.

Originally Posted by Gayle (Post 793241)

But the times that PB lost in the past where when there was a strong Labour Government with strong support - the odds are that ANY Tory candidate would have lost. The situation is different now and the chances of Tories picking up seats like Hyndburn has increased.

Originally Posted by Gayle (Post 793241)

But the times that PB lost in the past where when there was a strong Labour Government with strong support - the odds are that ANY Tory candidate would have lost. The situation is different now and the chances of Tories picking up seats like Hyndburn has increased.

Originally Posted by garinda (Post 793267)

Which must make it even more frustrating for the local party, that they can't have their candidate of choice.

If I was a member of the local party I'd be tempted to urge the candidate to stand as an independent Conservatives, and to cock a snoop to the grandees down at CCO.

It'd make them sit up and notice more than tearing up party membership cards.

Originally Posted by jaysay (Post 793261)

I point lost on the likes of Rindi:rolleyes:

Originally Posted by Gayle (Post 793270)

The problem with that is that he would have to give up his Leadership of the Conservative Party in Hyndburn, plus Leadership of the Council, plus the support of the Conservative party at both HBC and LCC level. Plus, he's standing for local election this year, so would not be able to stand as a Conservative for HBC but as an Independent for MP. Whilst I think it would make it an interesting battle, I really don't think any sane politician would give up all those things just to make a point.

Originally Posted by garinda

When Ken Hargeaves lost to Greg Pope in 1992 he had 21,082 votes/ 36% of the vote.

When Cllr. Britcliffe first lost in 1997, he polled 15,383, and the percentage of the votes cast fell to 23%.

Perhaps the clues were already there.

Originally Posted by Gayle (Post 793278)

[=garinda]

When Ken Hargeaves lost to Greg Pope in 1992 he had 21,082 votes/ 36% of the vote.

When Cllr. Britcliffe first lost in 1997, he polled 15,383, and the percentage of the votes cast fell to 23%.

Perhaps the clues were already there.

[/garinda]


I'm not sure that's a valid argument Garinda. In 1992, Greg beat Ken but he was just gaining the seat back and won it by over 5,000 votes. In 1997, it was the year of the landslide Labour victory up and down the country so naturally Conservatives lost ground in Hyndburn as well. Again, I think that would have happened whoever the Tories had put up.