CONSERVATIVES in West Lancashire last night defended their selection processes after two Labour councillors were able to help choose their next prospective parliamentary candidate.
Cllrs Ian Bullen and Steve Hanlon were able to vote in the hustings for the next Tory general election candidate, won by Adrian Owens, calling it an “unmissable opportunity”.
Mr Owens, 41, a West Lancashire district councillor, will now take on Labour’s Rosie Cooper, who holds the seat, when an election is called.
Last night, both West Lancashire and North West Conservatives dismissed claims that the process could have been harmed.
Cllr Rob Bailey, chairman of West Lancashire Tories, said: “The fact is we had 15 applicants who were on the Conservative party list.
“They went through the board and we had four strong Conservative candidates to vote for.
“It would not have mattered how many people had turned up because at the end of the day, they would have chosen a strong Conservative candidate.” But Frank McKenna, Miss Cooper’s newly-appointed communications adviser, said he was amazed the Tories had allowed this to happen.
Cllr Bailey said that more than 150 people turned up to the US-style open primary held at Ormskirk’s Civic Hall.
The Conservatives introduced the open hustings system where anyone could vote as a way of re-engaging people in politics.
Cllr Bailey said: “I think it is re-engaging the people who were interested but didn’t get involved anymore.
“We are seeing a higher level of interest in the party than we have for some time.”
Mr McKenna said: “I am just amazed they allowed this to happen.
“I can understand they want to experiment, but surely there have got to be some boundaries.
“I don’t think Labour would have allowed this.”
Last night, Cllr Hanlon, who represents the Moorside ward, told the Daily Post: “I was really surprised when I received the invitation, but straight away I saw it as an unmissable opportunity to find out what happens on the other side of the fence. It was a public event and I was very interested to witness the ‘hustings’ and see what opposition we’re facing.
“In truth, I was a little disappointed with the strength of some of the candidates – nobody I saw stands up to Rosie Cooper, who is doing a fantastic job.
“If we had been more calculated, I think we could have had a bigger influence and caused a real stir.”
Cllr Owens is hoping to snatch the seat for David Cameron’s party and there is currently a high-level of speculation in Westminster that Gordon Brown could call an election next year to coincide with local elections in May.
This has been fuelled by his early announcement of the Government’s legislative agenda, ahead of the Queen’s speech in November when new laws are traditionally unveiled.
The North West regional spokesman for the Conservatives said: “It is meant to be an open forum, and there is nothing stopping Labour turning up and voting.”
When asked if Labour or another group would be able to rig the vote, he said: “There has never been a situation, as far as I am aware, where that has happened.”
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