A fresh embarrassment has emerged for Rishi Sunak after Conservative Party chiefs were forced to put his hand-picked chair Richard Holden on a shortlist of one to ensure he had a seat to fight. Mr Holden is the only name listed for the Basildon and Billericay seat in Essex, which had a majority of 20,412 in 2019.
The move has caused fury in the local association which, it is understood, had already been in a stand-off with CCHQ because it wanted its own shortlist and not the one imposed by party bosses. But now the party has used emergency election rules which allow them to impose a single candidate 48 hours before the deadline. It is understood that the local association chair has protested by cancelling the special general meeting to make the selection.
Bu hikaye The Independent dergisinin June 06, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye The Independent dergisinin June 06, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Djokovic faces monumental task at the Australian Open
Novak Djokovic could play Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open and may also have to face world No 2 Alexander Zverev and world No 1 Jannik Sinner if he is to win a 25th grand slam title in Melbourne.
Potter's West Ham gamble is a make-or-break moment
Doubts remain over new Hammers man after Chelsea failure
'Woody told us all week we would get Newcastle away!'
After more than a century in the lower tiers, League Two side Bromley FC are finally in the spotlight with their FA Cup tie
Ambitious Everton look for upgrade on the Dyche grind
Sean Dyche was never the manager Everton really wanted.
Everton ease to FA Cup win as team reboot starts
They are not used to cheering the men in the technical area.
THE ART OF NOISE
Alt-popper Ethel Cain lashes listeners with sound on her experimental second LP, 'Perverts'. Helen Brown submits
Kidman is utterly fearless in unabashedly sexy 'Babygirl'
Dutch writer-director Halina Reijn has made a BDSM film rife with fumbling uncertainty, and comedy-drama 'A Real Pain' manages to stay honest,
The secret shame that saw Callas retreat into obscurity
She was the opera diva with a tumultuous and tragic private life but something else would derail her career as one of the greatest singers of all time, as Meghan Lloyd Davies explains
At home with Gen Zzzzz
Being boring has never been more in - but Kate Rossiensky wonders if the humblebore lifestyle is a deflection technique
PLAYING DUMB
As the thoroughly decent (and rather smart) Kasim is ejected from 'The Traitors', Helen Coffey asks whether intelligence has become a hindrance that should be concealed at all costs