The Conservatives have the knives out (From Ilkley Gazette)

The Conservatives have the knives out

9:45am Thursday 16th February 2012 in Opinion/Letters By The Editor

It seems there’s more than a hint of the night of the long knives going on in the local Conservative associations.

Firstly, former Metro chairman Councillor Chris Greaves has been kicked out of the party in the wake of him quitting the Tory group last year.

He resigned on a matter of principle, he says, and continued as an Independent.

He was suspended while an investigation was under way and it has now been confirmed his Tory Party membership has been terminated. Most fair-minded people wouldn’t have a problem with that outcome.

But they would question his decision to continue as an Independent. He was not elected on that ticket — a point which he seems to have conveniently forgotten or buried.

What is less clear is the situation regarding Coun Adrian Naylor who has been rejected by his group to defend his Craven seat in the Bradford Council elections, in May.

It seems the decision to oust him was made in a secret ballot by a panel of judges selected by the Keighley and Ilkley Conservative Association.

Coun Naylor has appealed and is rightly demanding his views are considered by an independent panel.

It is not for us to prejudge any outcome or how the association runs its affairs. That is up to them.

But to be selective about the information released — such as chairman Dorothy Clamp’s explanation of the process — leaves a lot to be desired.

She stresses he has not be de-selected and will remain as a councillor until the election in May but could not comment on why he had not been approved.

Stuff and nonsense. Better to say nothing than set hares running.