A series of local Conservatives have joined the former Tory Douglas Carswell in his defection to Ukip.
Mike Wadham, treasurer of his old association, Clacton Conservatives, is among those to have jumped ship, citing loyalty to the former MP as his reason. He told his new colleagues that “if Douglas had joined the Teddy Bear Party, I would have gone with him”. His predecessor as treasurer, Ashley Mooney, has also pledged to switch to Ukip and campaign for Mr Carswell.
Mr Mooney said that he admired Mr Carswell’s independent-mindedness and his libertarian beliefs. “He stands for the kind of things I stand for,” he said. “I’m going with him because I like him and his ideas.”
Several other former Conservative supporters yesterday promised to help Mr Carswell in the by-election triggered by his defection and resignation. The contest, expected to take place in early October, looks set to be an uphill struggle for the Tories. A poll at the weekend put Mr Carswell a staggering 44 points ahead.
There was more bad news for David Cameron yesterday as two more Conservatives announced that they will step down at next year’s general election, taking to 27 the number of the party’s MPs leaving the House of Commons. Chris Kelly is departing after just one term as MP for Dudley South, the marginal constituency he won from Labour, and is the latest in a string of the 2010 intake to announce that he will serve just one term.
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Sir Tony Baldry, the veteran MP for Banbury, also announced that he was leaving after more than 30 years. He said his age would make him a “lame duck” in the next parliament.
Boris Johnson’s hopes of a smooth path back to parliament were hit yesterday after it emerged that double Olympic gold medal winner James Cracknell has also applied to be the Conservative party’s parliamentary candidate for Uxbridge and South Ruislip. Mr Cracknell, who lives near to the seat in Chiswick, west London, is a staunch anti-European.