Nottingham's local Conservative group is said to be "in a mess" over a row which has caused its city council leader to stand down. The Conservative Party currently has just two members at Nottingham City Council but as it stands, neither of them will be on the ballot paper at the local elections in May.
One of the councillors, Roger Steel, has not been chosen again by the local party as a candidate in a move which he says has left him "hung out to dry." Andrew Rule, the Conservative Group leader at Nottingham City Council, has announced he will not be standing in the upcoming elections in protest at Roger Steel's treatment by the party.
The issue began last September, when the Nottingham City Conservative Federation held a Zoom meeting to begin the process of selecting their candidates for this year's elections. When it came to the question of having Roger Steel as a Conservative candidate again in the Clifton West ward, four people voted in favour but one person voted to defer this decision.
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Roger Steel says he was not made aware of this meeting and that under rules and regulations adopted in 2022, a deferral is not allowed. A face-to-face interview panel was therefore convened last year and it ended with three people voting in favour of Roger Steel's re-selection but three voting against it, with the tied vote meaning that he won't be a candidate in May's elections as it stands.
Councillor Steel, who says he has never been given a reason for his de-selection, unsuccessfully appealed against the decision but says he is continuing to push the federation to re-admit him to the selection process. He says he also wants Jim Armstrong to be re-admitted to the selection process, with Mr Armstrong having previously been elected as a Wollaton West councillor in 2015.
Speaking about the federation's current position, Roger Steel said: "Together with Andrew Rule, we have doubled the [Conservative] majority and both of us have a strong personal following, as you would expect from incumbent councillors. Prospects for both of us in May's elections were encouraging.
"I reject this attempt to hijack this seat and to parachute in a candidate who works in London. I was hung out to dry and there has been a hell of a lot of disquiet amongst the remaining members of the committee and amongst the members."
The Nottingham City Conservative Federation has been contacted for comment but one of the deputy chairs of the group, Andy Byrne, has spoken out against the way in which Roger Steel has been treated. When asked how the Conservatives were currently placed ahead of the elections on May 4, Mr Byrne said: "We're in a mess.
"Roger Steel is a really good councillor in terms of delivery for residents and he works in the Council House three or four days a week dealing with issues. Andrew Rule is also an incredibly community-driven councillor and both of them are very well known in Clifton.
"On a good day, I think even our Labour opponents would acknowledge that both Roger and Andrew are fabulous councillors. So we've got members and MPs tearing their hair out over what is happening and I think CCHQ [Conservative Campaign Headquarters] will have to get involved."
Both Roger Steel and Andrew Rule will serve out their current term as councillors up until the May 4 election, with both of them currently representing the Clifton West ward. Andrew Rule has been a Nottingham City Council member since 2015 and has led the Conservative Group since 2017 following the death of his predecessor, Georgina Culley.
Roger Steel was first elected to Nottingham City Council in 2011, but says that he has worked with the local Conservative group for around 20 years. Councillor Steel listed several ways in which he says both he and Andrew Rule have delivered for Clifton, including close work with local policing teams, upgrading major footpaths and being responsible for floral displays and Christmas lights in the area.
Councillor Andrew Rule confirmed that he withdrew his application to stand in May's elections on Thursday (February 9). In a statement, he said: "It was a very difficult decision for me but I could not in good conscience, given the circumstances, continue with the selection process.
"I felt that to be selected as the Conservative candidate would imply that I concur with, or even support the treatment toward Councillor Steel. I do not.
"It has been the honour of my life to represent Clifton, Wilford and Silverdale on Nottingham City Council." Andrew Byrne said that with less than three months to go until the local elections, Nottingham's Conservatives have approved just one candidate in Wollaton.
The upcoming elections will see all 55 of Nottingham City Council's wards up for grabs, with the Labour Party currently holding 50 of them alongside the two Conservative seats and three which were won by the Nottingham Independents. The elections are taking place across Nottinghamshire, with votes also taking place for all of the county's seven district and borough councils.
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