Guido hears there’s yet more blue-on-blue re-selection drama, this time in the Aldridge-Brownhills Conservative Association – whose MP is former Chief Whip Wendy Morton. Local Tory councillor Suky Samra – who represents one of the wards in Morton’s constituency – is leading the charge against the MP and calling on her to stand down ahead of the selection meeting on Saturday:

“it is time for Wendy to move a aside and a new local candidate be selected to serve the residents. Wendy has reneged on many promises during her 7
year tenure; I remember her selection meeting in 2015 at which she said she was a Brexiteer, yet she voted and promoted remain. She said she would permanently relocate from Yorkshire to Aldridge; yes she has a flat, but we are lucky if she spends half a day in the Constituency.

[…]

“As a constituency MP Wendy should act in the best interests of her constituents, but throughout the time that she has held her seat she has not been active within community campaigns, other than to turn up for photo opportunities.”

Samra claims his views are “shared by many members and that over 100 would be prepared to put a no-confidence vote in Mrs Morton if she did not do the honourable thing and go.”

Under new CCHQ rules, MPs representing seats that are largely unchanged by the boundary commission face a selection panel made up of local party officers, drawn from the various wards within their constituency. Wendy has to get 50% of the panel to back her, otherwise it goes to an open selection. Guido’s steadily running out of popcorn…