Infighting, apparatchiks and a 'screwed up' selection panel: how the Tories blew it

THE full story of how the Tories failed to stop Sadiq Khan from being re-elected can be revealed today — with infighting, a bungled selection process and a lack of campaign funds blamed by insiders for derailing their efforts.

- Ross Lydall

Despite suggestions of a close finish, Mr Khan beat his Conservative rival Susan Hall by more than 275,000 votes — with a swing of 3.2 per cent to Labour — to secure a historic third term as Mayor of London. Today Tory party grandees and activists admitted that a “negative” campaign, the lack of a “knockout” candidate and “ruthless” Labour targeting of Lib-Dem and Green voters made it impossible for Ms Hall to win. Other reasons included:

⬤ The lack of a positive message.

⬤ Infighting among candidates vying for the Tory mayoral nomination.

⬤ A lack of campaign funds for Ms Hall and a “late” manifesto.

⬤ Amateur “party apparatchiks” put in charge of the shortlisting of candidates.

⬤ The failure to include Tory MP Paul Scully on the shortlist.

⬤ The decision not to restart the search for a mayoral candidate.

⬤Making the Ulez central to Ms Hall’s campaign.

⬤Ms Hall being selected despite some MPs believing she was not good enough.

Greg Hands, who as Tory party chair man oversaw the selection of Ms Hall last summer, told the Evening Standard: “The core problem was this: we had nobody as a knockout candidate who had put themselves forward. There wasn’t a standout candidate who wanted the job. There wasn’t a Boris or a Steve Norris.