Lincoln Conservative councillor quits after deselection

Cllr Paul Grice of Lincoln City Council has resigned the Conservative whip and will now sit as an indepnednet following his deselection as a candidate for next year's council elections. Lincoln is an important battle ground - this year Labour gained just one seat amont the third of Coiuncil seats up for election. But that meant they gained control of the council from the Conservatives. Another third of the seats are up for election next year.

In this context I can imagine the expectations on Conservative candidates to campaign with zeal are pretty high.

Cllr Grice was sent a letter saying he hasn't made the grade.

It says:

"I would like to say it was not your performance at the interview that caused the selection committee to come to this decision. You do have a full and busy life, with both work and family responsibilities, and it was considered these would not allow you to participate fully in the hard fight we will have to keep the Moorland seat.

"If it is known that the reason for you not standing this time is because of business and family commitments then this will reflect well on both you and the party. I would be grateful if you could confirm you are agreeable to this being the official line and to be used in literature if so required."

He has taken it pretty badly releasing the letter to his local paper and deciding to leave the party. He says as a working father he is being discriminated against. But part of his work, his paid work, is as a councillor.

Anyway for all this talk of the "nasty party" it seems to me that the Conservatives are much more diplomatic, much more senstitive, about deselecting councillors than the Labour Party -  judging by the Glasgow example.