ConservativeHome's Seats & Candidates blog

Anne McIntosh secures comfortable victory over Liberal Democrats in Thirsk and Malton

Anne McIntosh won the Thirsk and Malton election yesterday - delayed from 7th May because of the death of a declared candidate. The numbers below are for yesterday with the 2005 results in brackets:

• Anne McIntosh (Conservative) 20,167 (25,702), 52.9% (51.9%)
• Howard Keal (Liberal Democrat) 8,886 (9,314) 23.3% (18.8%)
• Jonathan Roberts (Labour) 5,169 (11,585) 13.5% (23.4%)
• UKIP 2,502 (1,522) 6.6% (3.1%)

The Yorkshire Post had described the election - the first between the Coalition partners - as "an old-fashioned election scrap". They cite these remarks from the Lib Dem candidate:

"Another Lib Dem hand on the tiller in government can only strengthen our part in the coalition. Lib Dem policies are now at the heart of government – had we left them to their own devices they would have lurched to the Right, but we have dragged them into the centre ground."

Congratulations to Anne McIntosh.

Tim Montgomerie

Lib Dems will press ahead with challenge to Anne McIntosh at the delayed election in Thirsk and Malton

The death of the UKIP candidate in Thirsk and Malton after close of nominations meant that the general election poll had to be postponed until May 27th.

Conservative Anne McIntosh (pictured) will defend a notional majority of a little over 14,000 in the newly drawn seat, but despite the new coalition arranegemnt at Westminster, it has been confirmed in the Yorkshire Post that the Liberal Democrats will be contesting the seat:

The Liberal Democrat candidate in the Thirsk and Malton by-election, which will be held in a fortnight, said today he is looking forward to a "full-on fight" against the Tories... Howard Keal confirmed the Lib Dems will continue to contest the North Yorkshire seat, which was the only constituency where there was no poll last week due to the death of the UKIP candidate during the campaign. Mr Keal said he is looking forward to his chance to "upset the apple cart".

Jonathan Isaby

Election postponed in Thirsk and Malton after death of UKIP candidate

Polling in the North Yorkshire constituency of Thirsk and Malton at the general election is to be postponed after the death of the UKIP candidate, John Boakes, after the close of nominations.

This mirrors the situation which befell South Staffordshire in 2005, when the Lib Dem candidate challenging Sir Patrick Cormack died a few days before the general election.

Mr Boakes failed to turn up to a hustings last night and news of death was announced this afternoon.

Thirsk and Malton is a newly-drawn seat where outgoing Vale of York MP Anne McIntosh will be standing for the Conservatives, defending a notional majority of a little over 14,000.

"All I can say at the moment is that I am so sorry for his family, his friends and his party," Ms McIntosh told ConservativeHome this afternoon.

The Northern Echo speculates that the new poll will take place on May 27th.

Jonathan Isaby

Anne McIntosh MP faces SURVIVES deselection vote tonight in Thirsk and Malton

Further to previous ConHome coverage of the issue, it is tonight that Conservatives in Thirsk and Malton will meet to consider a motion that would, if passed, see Anne McIntosh MP deselected as candidate for the redrawn but notionally safe Conservative seat at the next election.

Today's Yorkshire Post cited a party insider as saying the vote would be "too close to call".

My understanding is that when the votes are counted no figures will be announced - merely whether or not the motion has been carried.

Either way, I will bring you the result as soon as I have it later tonight.

10pm update:

Anne McIntosh MP won the vote and remains candidate for Thirsk and Malton and released the following statement:

“I am obviously delighted with the result after a meeting that was positive and constructive and I would like to thank the many members of the Association who attended. The important thing is that people had the opportunity to raise any issues they had with me and they had a good hearing. We now move forward united as a much better fighting force for the election, whenever it’s called.”

Jonathan Isaby

Anne McIntosh facing deselection vote in Thirsk and Malton

Back in November 2006, Anne McIntosh was selected to fight the newly created seat of Thirsk and Malton, which takes in part of her own disappearing Vale of York constituency after forthcoming boundary changes.

To win the nomination for the seat, she surprised many observers by beating John Greenway, the sitting MP for Ryedale, who currently represents two thirds of the new constituency.

However, it would seem that relationships with her senior activists have hit something of a low, since news reaches me that an extraordinary general meeting of the association has been called for Wednesday 2nd September to consider the following motion:

"That this General Meeting of Members of the Thirsk and Malton Conservative Association do hereby deselect Anne McIntosh as their Parliamentary Candidate for the forthcoming Parliamentary General Election. "

It comes not long after two other Conservative MPs (Richard Ottaway and Anne Main) successfully fought motions from their associations over their continuing as the parliamentary candidate for their constituencies - although in this case I understand that there is no connection with allegations about the MP's use of parliamentary allowances.

One well-placed insider tells me that it is a case of relations between Anne McIntosh and her association officers and executive members having "irretrievably broken down", and that things have come to a head with the decision to push it to a deselection - although there is a reluctance on the part of those behind the motion to discuss further details.

I called Ms McIntosh for a reaction at lunchtime on her mobile and she told me that she would call me back "in an hour" on a landline. She is yet to make that call, more than three hours later, but I will add her reaction, if I get it, and any other developments as they emerge.

Further updates appear below...

Anne McIntosh adopted for Thirsk & Malton

Vale of York MP Anne McIntosh has emerged as the surprise victor over Ryedale MP John Greenway in the selection battle for the new seat of Thirsk and Malton.  Ryedale forms over half of the new seat and Mr Greenway had been expected to win the battle.  Ms McIntosh's own seat will be broken up into six parts.

Anne McIntosh had been unsuccessfully applying for other seats around Britain and now will inherit a seat with a projected majority of 14,687.  The former MEP may have been boosted in local members' minds by recently receiving a frontbench job - shadow minister for family welfare - from David Cameron.

Mr Greenway was apparently the victim of a strong faction within the Ryedale Association who had hoped to see him achieve shadow cabinet rank and by some anger that he not secure dual carriageway status for a major road in the constituency - quite a tall order for an opposition backbencher.

The other MP with an abolished seat - James Brokenshire - was also given promotion by David Cameron in the recent reshuffle.  He'll learn whether he'll be adopted for the plum Tory seat of Witham tomorrow when he faces Charles Elphicke, Priti Patel and Geoffrey Van Orden in an open primary election (in which the new CCHQ requirement of half-women shortlists is waived).