According the the ever-reliable Guido Fawkes, Thanet South Tories have selected Laura Sandys to be their parliamentary candidate after a ConservativeHome campaign to rubbish the 2005 candidate, Mark MacGregor.
Not so long ago, MacGregor was the Chief Executive of the Conservative Party, under Iain Duncan Smith, when ConservativeHome editor Tim Mongomerie was an adviser (chief of staff?) to IDS. Tim’s hatred of MacGregor may go back further than this but IDS blames his former CEO for stirring up the Betsygate scandal.
IDS has also been heard telling people, “If Mark MacGregor gets a seat I shall leave the Conservative Party”. Opus Dave, while not overly attached to the Thatcherite IDS, is believed not to be keen on seeing a high profile resignation from its ranks. They baulked at putting MacGregor on the A List and now he has failed to win his local seat, I don’t think he’ll have much luck elsewhere.
However, the major winner from this is Tim Montgomerie and ConservativeHome. For the first time, he has flexed his CH muscle and it has achieved a success. The Tory Party had better watch out as now he knows what he can do, why should he stop flexing his muscles now?
editor[at]recessmonkey.com
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How many times can IDS threaten to resign? This is about the fifteenth time since he was chucked out of the leadership. Once was if they chnaged the system for electing a leader (which was touted on the grounds that he himself was the obvious reason why it neeed changing). Obviously believes himself as some elder stateman vital to the Tory recovery. Mind you, he was deluded enough to think he could be leader.
Simon said this on October 19th, 2006 at 1:51 pm
Your mate Guido was pretty quick to close off his thread on this subject. Too many mates of Mark’s making jokes about Tim’s love for ‘Desperate Housewives’ (nudge nudge, wink wink)? Make mine a Smithers.
Goober the Guido refugee said this on October 20th, 2006 at 3:37 pm