Boris Johnson will be conspicuous by his absence during this general election campaign, not by intention, his allies emphasize, but because the election was a surprise both for him and for most of the country. The former Prime Minister has booked a series of foreign trips which will take him outside the UK for most of the critical period.
However, his presence will still be felt across the boroughs this weekend as Tory associations select their candidates in a panic, amid claims that Johnson fans are being purged in favor of One-Nation Remainers supporters. and Rishi Sunak’s acolytes. As candidates must be selected by June 7, interviews will move to Zoom and selection panels will work over the bank holiday.
After Michael Gove became the latest high-profile exit, the Conservatives are struggling to find almost 200 candidates in a process riven by chicanery and blue-collar backbiting, with parliamentary hopefuls privately criticizing that Downing Street is parachuting in his cronies to seats like the one Gove once held. Surrey Heath insurance.
Boris Johnson’s allies reject calls from Conservative MP Andrea Jenkyns to stand in the election
Nadine Dorries with Festus Akinbusoye, selected as her party’s 2023 candidate for the Mid Bedfordshire by-election following his resignation
Typical was Thursday night’s contentious meeting of Mid Bedfordshire Conservatives, where they lost a by-election last year, sparked by the departure of former Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries. The defeated Conservative candidate, Festus Akinbusoye, had hoped to be adopted again for the general election, but according to sources he was “eliminated by a torn seam”.
During a pause in the process (in which ten candidates were separated down to three, who would later be chosen by the Association), a senior member of the executive committee allegedly “bent over” his colleagues to remove Mr Akinbusoye from the short list . because “the Association is obliged to select him.”
Blake Stephenson, who emerged victorious, is described by one source as “a Boris-hating Remainer”.
Among the three possible finalists was Jamie Wallis, the transgender MP for Bridgend, who announced last October that he would not seek re-election in the Welsh constituency, two years after crashing his car into a lamppost while wearing a black leather miniskirt. and high heels. He fled the scene, but was later arrested and found guilty of failing to report an accident.
Last night Mrs Dorries said: ‘Festus is a strong Brexiteer and supporter of Boris Johnson, a political rock star on the streets. Despite this, the Mid Bedfordshire executive committee decided not to put it before local party members to vote for it. ‘An incredible local candidate has been tricked out of the seat he had worked so hard to win.’
As for Johnson himself, his allies are dismissing calls from Conservative MP Andrea Jenkyns for him to stand in the election. Although Johnson spoke to Sunak about unrelated matters the day before Wednesday’s announcement, the prime minister has yet to directly ask him to take part in the campaign. Discussions about his role are taking place through two intermediaries: Lord Kempsell, an ally of Johnson, and Sunak’s campaign manager, Isaac Levido.
Despite Boris speaking to Rishi Sunak the day before Wednesday’s general election announcement, the Prime Minister has yet to directly ask Boris to take part in the campaign.
A source said: “Expect more scathing attacks on Starmer in Boris’s Daily Mail column and a few other interventions, but he will be out of the country most of the time.”
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister has denied reports that former Brexit minister and Johnson ally Lord Frost had been prevented from standing as an MP. Frost says he will now “consider the options” but a source close to him said the selection process means he is unlikely to run.
The source added: “He would have to give up his Lords seat, so it’s a big gamble.” They haven’t blocked it but they haven’t exactly made it easy for them. Basically, you need to have a reserved seat where you know an association will choose you, but that hasn’t been done. So he will leave it until the next election.
Lord Frost’s experience contrasts with claims that Sunak’s allies are being parachuted into Conservative constituencies.
A furious pro-Brexit MP, who last week wrote a letter of censure towards the Prime Minister, told The Mail on Sunday: “All they care about is trying to be the next MP for Stratford-upon-Avon (where former chancellor Nadhim Zahawi is taking over.) They are doing nothing to maintain the Red Wall.
There is growing concern about the influence of Gareth Fox, head of candidates, and his colleague Matt Lane. In leaked messages seen by the MoS, one conservative wrote that candidates are being “sidelined because they don’t meet the woke sensibilities of Fox and Lane.” The source called on the party’s centre-right to “take back control after the general election” and added: “I want my party back.”
Increasingly, powerful conservatives feel the same way. Last week, when Sunak took his base by surprise with an early election, there was a dinner of Conservative party grandees. Among them were allies of Dougie Smith, the shadowy “fixer” accused of plotting to overthrow Johnson. A source in the room said: “They spoke openly about how they brought down Boris and will now turn on Rishi.”
Donors have been taking matters into their own hands and have only given money to candidates they believe will return the Conservative Party to its roots. One of them has been sponsoring only right-wing candidates because he believes the party has been “taken over by the soft left center.”
Significantly, too, rivals lining up to replace Sunak after a likely election defeat are trying to influence the party’s direction, with former Home Secretaries Priti Patel and Suella Braverman, along with former Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick, particularly active in approaching candidates. Patel has been touring Conservative associations and meeting potential MPs. “She’s going full speed ahead,” a source said. “The feeling is that, whatever the result, we have to change.”
A source at Conservative headquarters dismissed accusations of wokeism and rigged selections as “nonsense” and said “people use it as an excuse not to get selected.”
The Mail on Sunday revealed earlier this year that former Prime Minister Liz Truss had warned her Tory right peers that they were losing the battle for the party’s future, arguing that the selection of the next generation of MPs was being warped. for wokeness and political correctness takes priority over conservative political ideology.
A senior former Cabinet minister said: “The biggest mistake was getting rid of Boris. It’s like getting rid of your best centre-forward. There’s no way we’re 20 points behind today, maybe ten, and he could reduce that gap by one campaign. If they had told their colleagues that when they got rid of Boris they would be left with 150 seats, they wouldn’t have done it.’
The former minister also said Sunak’s decision to call an early election was “selfish” and added: “Don’t underestimate the personal in politics.” He hates work. His wife hates him. Sunak thinks: “I want to have a good summer with my family.” He doesn’t give a damn about the parliamentary party.
