Ukip defector Mike Whitehead was sacked last week, say Conservatives
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Version 0 of 1. A Conservative general election candidate says he has defected to join Ukip, prompting a counter-claim from the Tories that he was actually sacked last week. Mike Whitehead, who had been the Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate for Hull West and Hessle, announced on Monday morning he was joining Ukip after suffering what he claimed was “bullying and intimidation” from the ruling Tory group on East Riding of Yorkshire council. But shortly after the announcement Conservative officials hit back, saying Whitehead had already been removed as a parliamentary candidate after he had threatened to stand as an independent in May’s local council elections. A Conservative party spokesman said: “This man is not our candidate for Hull West and Hessle. He was sacked last week. “He refused to support the local Conservative council candidate – and so we wrote to him last week to say that his position was untenable and he could not stand for us at the general election. We were already selecting a new candidate for this constituency. “This is typical Ukip – cynical, misleading and utterly calculating to try and score political points.” Whitehead confirmed he received an email last Wednesday informing him he was no longer the Conservative parliamentary candidate, but said it was a “pre-emptive strike” after indicating he was prepared to surrender his candidacy in order to stand in the local elections for the Willerby and Kirkella ward that he had represented since 2011. He was suspended from East Riding council’s Conservative group last summer after a row over how candidates are selected. “I told them that I would leave if they stopped me. I was going to stand in both elections. So what they did was got wind of this. I got an email on Wednesday evening telling me I was out,” he told the Guardian. “I had discussions with Ukip on Wednesday to find their views on local democracy and how I could continue to follow the views of my residents. I was very impressed with what they said to me. “[The Conservatives] thought I was going to stand as an independent, which was my immediate reaction. Then I did talk to Ukip and I was impressed with what they had to say so I decided I would go to Ukip.” Upon hearing his “defection” had been labelled a stunt by his old party, Whitehead said: “They would say that wouldn’t they? All they’re trying to do is deflect what is clearly going to be an embarrassment for them.” Ukip leader Nigel Farage had earlier welcomed Whitehead into the party. He said: “His move to Ukip just underlines that today the real party of opposition to Labour in the north is Ukip. “It is another hammer blow to Tory pretensions in the north of England”. Whitehead said he had spoken to Farage, who said: “Keep going. Good on you.” Whitehead joined about 20 Ukip officials, including local MEPs Mike Hookem and Jane Collins, outside Beverley county hall on Monday morning in a press call to announce his switch. He tore up election leaflets advertising him as a Conservative election candidate. Commenting on his switch to Ukip earlier, Whitehead said seven Conservative councillors had resigned from the East Yorkshire authority citing “bullying and intimidation”. “Now, that same group have managed to gain control of the local party structures by ensuring they are responsible for the organisation of the local election campaign. I am deeply disappointed in the Conservative party at national level, who have declined to get involved in what it sees as a remote internal squabble out in the shires.” Hull West and Hessle is held by the veteran Labour MP, Alan Johnson, who was returned in 2010 with a majority of more than 5,000. |