With former Junior Minister Nicholas Soames vacating his role as a Tory MP, his Mid Sussex Conservative Association has started selection process for its next Member of Parliament. This follows Philip Hammond’s Runnymede Association stating “a new candidate will be selected by the membership in due course.” They’re not mucking about…

Meanwhile a significant group members of the East Surrey Conservative Association last night wrote to their constituency chairman to demand that Sam Gyimah – who has now also lost the whip – is abandoned for a new candidate in time for the next election. Read the letter in full below…

As I am sure you will have seen, our MP, Sam Gyimah has once again voted against the Government today, and has done so publicly and without remorse, showing no concern whatsoever for his constituents wishes, let alone the party which has placed him in parliament three times.

He seems, in fact, to take pleasure in being part of the group trying to destroy an elected Conservative Government. Sam even went so far as to appear on the BBC2’s Politics Live at lunchtime today, after which the BBC Reported:

‘Tory rebel Sam Gyimah says he has accepted he will be deselected and expelled from the party when he votes against the government to block no-deal – but he still intends to stand in the next election.
“The party has left me,” the former minister tells BBC 2’s Politics Live.
“We have got a Conservative government now that is playing fast and lose around prorogation, not being clear on whether it will uphold the rule of law or not and threatening candidates with deselection.
“I think that is not the Conservatism I believe in.” ’
(at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-49557734/page/2 timed at 12:54)

Given these comments, and that he has now had the whip withdrawn for voting against the government (his above comments made it clear he expected this promise to be fulfilled), and the growing likelihood of a General Election within the next six months, if not sooner, we would be grateful if you would confirm that you will take action immediately to put in place the necessary processes for a full and clear selection process for our new Prospective Parliamentary Candidate as a matter of urgency, and in accordance with Section 15 of the Association Rules, and having due regard to Schedule 6, paragraphs 6-11 of the Constitution of the Conservative Party.

We would welcome a response from you on this matter.
Kind regards,