Tory election candidates are attempting to distance themselves from the PM’s ‘partygate’ scandal, it has been suggested
(Picture: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)More than 400 London Tories will stand as “Local Conservatives” in the upcoming elections in what has been branded an attempt to distance themselves from the woes of the national party.
Dozens of prospective candidates in Birmingham will also be listed under the label on the ballot paper on May 5 for the first time.
Conservatives in seven London boroughs have added “Local” to their party name as they seek to steer voters away from talking about the various scandals the Government and Prime Minister have been embroiled in over the past year, it has been suggested.
Director of LSE London Professor Tony Travers said: “It’s hardly surprising that, with everything going on in the national party and the Government trust rating, there are efforts by local candidates to distance themselves from the national party image.
“This is the beginning of a grassroot realisation that maybe the Conservative name is a problem in London and that a separate identity would make it easy for Conservatives candidates to win.”
Wimbledon MP Stephen Hammond told the Standard: “Partygate is coming up on the doorstep, not all the time, but often in the more middle class areas.
“There is some truth in local candidates wanting to distance themselves from some of what is going on in the national party.
“To say ‘this is a local election about local issues’. They are certainly very keen to emphasise what is happening with their council and not the party.”
Conservative Party headquarters said the “Local Conservative” description has been used and registered for ballot papers since 2007, and does not require sign-off from the party.
But this is the first time the label widely used in the capital and across entire boroughs.
In Croydon, where the Labour-led council was forced to declare bankruptcy in 2020, the Tory candidates have added “Local” in front of their party name on the ballet.
The borough will be voting for an elected mayor for the first time in May. Conservative mayoral candidate Jason Perry denied there was a coordinated attempt by boroughs.
He said: “I can only speak for Croydon but we wanted to focus on local issues and we are the local candidates. In Scotland and Wales they add that to the name.
“What is going on with [the national party] comes up on the doorstep a little bit. But this is predominantly what is happening in Croydon.”
In London, Barking and Dagenham, Merton, Croydon, Wandsworth, Camden, Ealing and Sutton voters will all see “Local Conservatives” listed on the ballot paper instead of the “Conservative Party candidate”.
Former Labour minister and MP for Warley John Spellar told the Standard: “I’ve never seen it before. This is just an attempt to rebrand and an obvious backlash against the national party amongst some Tories.
“A desperate bid to distance themselves from Boris Johnson and the Partygate scandal.”
More than 5,000 council seats are up for election in 197 councils across Britain on May 5.
On Wednesday Trory activists told the Standard that the partygate scandal was cutting through on the doorstep, particularly in London.
Polling by two firms has suggested the Tories could lose as many as 800 seats in the vote.
Education secretary Nadhim Zahawi said on Thursday: “May 5 is the poll we should quote”.
“I was with activists in Wandsworth a few weeks ago and on the doorstep what people are talking about is the low council tax being delivered in Wandsworth compared to Lambeth and Merton and other boroughs that are Labour led,” he told Sky News.
“Ultimately people make a choice for who they want to lead in their local area based on delivery of services and value for money.”
