Conservative Party Chairman Welcomed to Lincolnshire

Conservatives across Lincolnshire will be welcoming the Conservative Party Chairman, Baroness Warsi, to a reception this evening.

Cllr. Mrs. Rachel Hubbard, Conservative (Lincoln Bracebridge Division), who is the County Chairman will welcome Baroness Warsi with representatives of the constituencies of the Lincolnshire area, which includes both North and North East Lincolnshire as well as the County of Lincolnshire.

The visit comes swiftly, following the defection of Roger Helmer MEP to the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), which followed an acrimonious period between Mr. Helmer and Baroness Warsi, waged publicly in the press, over his resignation and the succession of Rupert Matthews. The Chairman can undoubtedly expect the forthright views of local activists to be expressed to her this evening. At the 1922 Committee, of Conservative Members of Parliament, last week it is reported that Baroness Warsi received a hostile reception - and not just from the usual suspects.

It is believed that the Party Chairman will present an award to the Lincolnshire Conservative Policy Forum for the response to the NHS policy paper circulated in 2011.

Roger Helmer's Defection: Man Overboard

Giles McNeill writes:

Anyone who knows Roger Helmer, knows that Roger was always firmly on the right-wing of the Conservative Party.  Roger’s view was clear on the European Union: Britian would be better off out.

When Roger was the guest speaker at the Nettleham & District Conservatives Annual Branch Dinner in 2008 he was preparing for re-election as a Conservative candidate in elections in 2009. We talked together for some time, even getting into the intricacies of the D'Hont Method used for the Election of European Parliamentarians from Britain and associated territories - which I found absolutely fascinating, and imagine would render most people bored senseless. Roger has a degree in Mathematics and so the number crunching may have appealed on an intellectual level if not as a satisfactory way of election individuals.

The saga of Roger’s resignation, which has led to his defection to the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), began last year when he indicated he wanted to resign to give his successor a chance to be run-in before the European Parliamentary Election scheduled for 2014.  As Roger writes, in an open letter to Conservative Party Members:

Giles McNeill (Left) with Roger Helmer
(Right), October 2008

“I have always argued that a parliamentarian who finds himself no longer able to support the Party should stand aside in favour of another Conservative, and I have roundly criticised former colleagues who failed to do so, like Bill Newton Dunn and Edward McMillan Scott.  But in this case, as you will be aware, I sought in good faith to do the honourable thing, and to resign in favour of the next-in-line Conservative, Rupert Matthews.  Indeed in October I announced my intention to resign at the end of 2011.  But that plan was frustrated by the deliberate obstinacy and recalcitrance of the Party Chairman.

“I wrote to Baroness Warsi in early January saying that I would not resign without a clear undertaking on the succession issue.  I have to tell you now that no such undertaking has been received.  In these circumstances I believe that I have fulfilled my obligation to the Party, so far as I am able, and I therefore withdraw my offer to resign.   I had made it clear to Baroness Warsi that I would not allow the stand-off to continue indefinitely, so I will now plan to serve out my current term until 2014.  

“By seeking to do what I took to be the decent thing, and offering to stand aside in favour of another Conservative, I hope at least that I shall retain the respect of Party members in the region.  They have selected and reselected me three times over the years, and I know that for the most part their views are closer to my own than to those of the Party leadership.”

Statement by Rupert Matthews on the Defection of Roger Helmer MEP to UKIP

After Roger Helmer's announcement last October that he was to retire as an MEP his successor was to be Rupert Matthews. Following Roger Helmer's new announcement that he is to defect to UKIP instead this will not now happen.

Rupert Matthews said:

"I am shocked and disappointed at Roger Helmer’s decision to betray his public promises to the people of the East Midlands and his private promises to his colleagues. 

"Since Roger announced that he was standing down as the MEP, many people in the East Midlands have spent a considerable amount of time and effort in preparing for Roger’s retirement, my taking his place in Brussels and the unavoidable upheavals that this would have entailed. I myself was looking forward very much to representing the people of the East Midlands and the Conservative Party in the European Parliament. It is unfortunate that all this time and effort has been rendered useless by Roger’s actions.  

"I wish to make it clear that I have no intention of following Roger to UKIP and that I will continue to serve the Conservative Party as loyally as I have in the 28 years since I joined the party. I will be working hard to ensure the return of Conservative candidates in the local elections in May and at the next European Election in 2014."

Roger Helmer MEP Defects to UKIP

Roger Helmer MEP (Right) with the Leader of the United
Kingdom Independence Party, Nigel Farage MEP (Left)

Roger Helmer MEP has announced that he is leaving the Conservative Party and joining the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP).  

Mr. Helmer has been an Member of the European Parliament for the East Midlands region since 1999, having been re-elected in 2004 and again in 2009.  He has made his concerns over Conservative policy very public in recent months.  He made his announcement at UKIP’s Spring Conference in Skegness. Commenting on his decision, Mr. Helmer said:

“The fact is that UKIP represents the values and convictions of East Midlands Conservatives much better than Cameron’s Tory Party does.  I believe I can do a better job representing those views and interests as a member of UKIP than I could in the Tory Party.  The European project is collapsing before our eyes, yet the three main parties remain wedded to the Brussels dream.  UKIP is the only party which is ahead of the curve on this issue, and on other issues as well”.

In a letter to his former colleagues in the Conservative Party Mr. Helmer writes:

Further Pressure on Party Chairman to Confirm MEPs Successor

Rupert Matthews and Giles McNeill
campaigning in Saxilby

Today's Daily Mail has further revelations about the Roger Helmer's succession, which is causing a headache for the Conservative Party, both across the East Midlands and at Conservative Party Headquarters, for the Party Chairman, Baroness Warsi.

Roger's robust statement last week, stated his clear position: Rupert Matthews has the legitimate claim to be his successor. Now, Prime Minister, David Cameron MP, Conservative (Whitney), has been dragged into the row. The paper reports that more than 20 Members of Parliament have apparently written to the Prime Minister requesting he step in and confirm Mr. Matthew' appointment.

Chris Heaton-Harris MP, Conservative (Daventry), who served as an MEP for the East Midlands up to the 2009 European elections, is reported as saying:

"Sayeda Warsi may feel she can just line somebody up, but this is going to make a lot of people very angry."

The paper reports that a senior source denied Baroness Warsi was trying to prevent Mr. Matthews becoming the East Midlands next Euro-Parliamentarian.

Mr. Matthews will address local Conservative at a Supper Club event in the Gainsborough Constituency on Friday evening.

UPDATE:


Mr. Michael Crick presented a package on Channel 4 News about this issue. You can watch it here. Whilst somewhat overplaying the more colourful parts of Mr. Matthews' background, he successfully points out the damage that could be done to the relationship between the Conservative Party across the East Midlands and the Party Chairman. The most interesting quote is attributed to a Minister familiar with Mr. Matthews:

"I don't think you can change the rules mid-match."

Roger Helmer MEP Speaks Out On Attempted Resignation

Roger Helmer MEP for the East Midlands Regin writes: In October, I announced my intention to resign from the European Parliament on December 31. I was asked by our delegation leader Martin Callanan to postpone that date to January 20 to cover some key votes in Strasbourg in January, which I agreed to do. However, I have not yet signed the Parliament’s formal deed of resignation. I made it clear at the time that a key reason for my decision was my disillusionment with a wide range of Conservative policies - a view which has been strongly reinforced by David Cameron’s vocal backing for further fiscal integration in the EU.

I announced my resignation in the confident expectation (shared by just about everyone) that I would be replaced by the next-in-line on the 2009 Conservative East Midlands list, Rupert Matthews. Since the introduction of the regional list system of voting, there have been nine mid-term vacancies for UK MEPs, and on every occasion the seat has gone to the next available name on the list. It has now emerged, however, that the Party has reservations over the succession.

After the 2010 General Election, a large number of very good people, including Rupert, were taken off the Westminster candidates list. Because he is not currently on that list, the Party has referred his case to the Candidates’ Committee, which will require him to undergo a candidate panel. This is entirely wrong-headed. The Candidates’ Committee exists to pre-qualify names for future elections. It cannot retrospectively disqualify names from previous elections. Rupert was on the list at the relevant time, 2008. He was duly selected under party rules, in a postal ballot by around three and a half thousand East Midlands Conservative Party members, as second on the list (subsequently moved to third under the positive discrimination process). He was then confirmed as next-in-line in the national euro elections of 2009. He has earned his place, he has a democratic mandate. It is outrageous that the Party should be minded to set aside the result of a national election, and many East Midlands Conservatives are very angry indeed.

The Party needs to issue a certificate in respect of such an appointment, and believes it can withhold the certificate in this case. But the Party’s right to withhold the certificate must be exercised fairly, proportionately and transparently. The certificate is intended to enable the Party to refuse someone who has (for example) been convicted of a serious offence, or who has left the Party. But where no such impediment exists, withholding the certificate would be arbitrary and perverse. I have made it clear that I will not sign the formal resignation papers until the position is clarified and Rupert is confirmed. I was happy to resign in favour of the next-in-line in the normal way, but I am not prepared to stand aside for some A-List Cameron protégée from St. John’s Wood.

However the Party says it will not call the panel and make the decision until I do resign. So we have a Mexican stand-off. I think that both I and Rupert (and our respective families) are entitled to some certainty and resolution on the issue. Accordingly I have indicated to the Party Chairman that if the situation is not resolved within a few weeks, I shall withdraw my offer to resign. I am quite prepared, if necessary, to stay in place for the remaining two and a half years of my mandate until 2014.

I have always argued that when a Conservative MEP is out of sympathy with Party policy, and unable to defend it, he should resign to make way for another Conservative. I believe that that is the decent and honourable thing to do, and I have sought to do it, but my intention has been frustrated by the Party’s reprehensible prevarication. I have also made it clear to the Party Chairman that I believe that my obligations on this point have been fully and finally discharged by my offer, made in good faith, to resign. Accordingly, if I am obliged to stay in place until 2014, I shall feel no further sense of obligation or responsibility to the Party.