Tory MP Marcus Fysh is fighting for political survival in his Yeovil constituency, after his Association executive rejected his re-adoption as their candidate during a council meeting last month. Fysh is now balloting all local Tory members in an attempt to override the executive, claiming the “new boundaries for the new Yeovil constituency” mean it’s necessary for him to win the selection. Somehow forgetting to mention that the executive council hadn’t actually granted his re-adoption…

Yeovil Conservatives have released a statement announcing their decision, acknowledging Fysh is “exercis[ing] his right” to take it to the membership. Not exactly a ringing endorsement…

“The executive council of March 17 was held on Zoom. There were technical issues and re-adoption was not granted. Marcus Fysh has decided to exercise his right to engage with local party members in a ballot for re-selection.”

A local source told Guido that Fysh had attended the public part of the online Executive meeting “from his car in a service station”, which might explain the “technical issues”. Maybe the phone signal wasn’t great. Either way, placing his future in the hands of local members isn’t guaranteed to work. One local said members “do not rate his lack of local action in a positive light“. Another claimed hadn’t done himself any favours earlier this year by failing to respond to “several requests from his local branch to confirm he will stand again”. Sounds like he’s struggling to reel in support…