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Tory Party removes member standing as Independent

March 09, 2010

A businessman has been booted out of the Conservative Party after declaring he will stand as an Independent candidate for MP.

Mark Ashwell joined the Tory Party last year following leader David Cameron’s request for more members of the community to stand as potential Parliamentary candidates.

He had put his name forward to be the Conservative’s Bracknell MP candidate after the announcement Andrew MacKay would be standing down at the next election in the wake of the expenses scandal.

However, he has heavily criticised the way his application was handled and as a result decided to stand as an Independent candidate.

Mr Ashwell, who runs TradeMark Windows in Fishponds Road, Wokingham, said: “My reason for joining the Conservative Party was inspired by David Cameron and his call for MPs to come from all walks of life and to have the experience in working with their local community.

“This call from Mr Cameron was so sincere, that as you know I was delighted to present my application as the Conservative candidate for Bracknell

“After an initial acknowledgement I heard nothing. For four months I followed up the application with many telephone calls with the result that the recipient of my last call simply hung up.

“Having talked long and hard to party members of both Bracknell and Wokingham I realised that I would never be able to become the Conservative MP for either constituency.

“I would add that this is not the experience I have had with local members of the party, most of whom I am proud to call friends.

“They are doing a job that deserves the critical friendship of their MP. These personal friendships are continuing and will only be enhanced if I have the honour of being chosen as Wokingham’s Member of Parliament.”

A meeting of the Wokingham Conservative Association’s executive council took place on Friday, where it was decided Mr Ashwell’s membership would be withdrawn.

John Redwood, Conservative MP for Wokingham, declined to comment.

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CMA: "To me, it sounded like he just didn't get any answer from the council" thought he was applying to be a PPC not a Councillor? Did I misunderstand?..

Whitevanman
13/03/2010 at 09:15

To me, it sounded like he just didn't get any answer from the council about what was happening with his application. Silence isn't a confirmation that they weren't successful.

The way I understood it was that he submitted an application. He then received a notification that his application had been received.

He then heard NOTHING.

So he called, to ask what the situation was. They didn't tell him anything.

This is the way I've understood it, and if this is the case, then if they'd told him when he started chasing up that his application had been unsuccessful, there may not have been an issue.

CMA
12/03/2010 at 12:33

In how many ways do you tell someone they have not been successful?? A bit persistent our matey. Then he goes as Independent!!! says it all...the man is driven by power I'd say, what do you think CMA?

Whitevanman
11/03/2010 at 16:53

Whitevanman, should it really take 4 months for someone to tell you an application wasn't successful?

I don't think the problem is that he wasn't successful, but that he wasn't even informed, and they kept brushing him off rather than giving him an actual answer.

CMA
11/03/2010 at 12:49

Sounds to me like there is more to it than meets the eyes...Just because he was not selected! Sounds fishy to me. LarryS: wake up! politics is a tough world..leaders don't get where they are by being thin skinned! Doesn't mean you give up your ideology or principles

Whitevanman
10/03/2010 at 19:16

From what the article says, all he needed in regards to his application was for someone to tell him he had not been successful. It seems he had no feedback whatsoever for four months.

In all my job searching I have never had to wait longer than one week for an answer, so I can understand him being angry about the way his application was handled.

CMA
10/03/2010 at 12:44

Sadly Mark, you have experienced, in a more direct way, the way we are all treated in this part of the country. We are totally taken for granted. Put a monkey up for election with a blue rosette and enough people would vote for it. There is no democracy here, no proper debate or consideration of the real issues.

All respect to you though for putting yourself forward rather than sitting back and moaning like most other people but perhaps you should get some experience first by standing for one of our local councils.

LarryS
10/03/2010 at 12:20

He just got the hump because the successful tender to double glaze the House of Commons went to Everest.

ray northstander
10/03/2010 at 08:53

"experience in working with the local community" I guess that is one of DC's soundbites.............sounds good ,but means very little! Live in an ivory tower, having been educated at Eton and you would be fine!

Howard Thomas Common Sense party
10/03/2010 at 01:03

"Experience in working with their local community".....says it all really Mark....you are a little too close to the real world to be considered as a Tory candidate!...........Perhaps you might be associating yourself with the wrong party.

Howard Thomas Common Sense party
10/03/2010 at 00:59

Well he was booted out first and quite right too! Just because he wasn't selected. Grow up and try again next time but to go and stand as an independent honestly! the cheek of the man..the word opportunist springs to mind! No wonder John Redwood had nothing to say about the man or the matter HaHaHa

Jerrymonger
09/03/2010 at 21:59

The Tories have taken an extraordinary amount of time to do this.

I'm frankly surprised that Mr Ashwell did not quit the Tory party himself considering he is standing against one of its, albeit semi-detatched, members.

Still, I welcome the introduction of this independent anti-sleaze candidate.