Tory MP awaits deselection result

A senior Tory MP will find out later today if she is to be ousted from her seat by her local party members.

Anne McIntosh is facing a bid to be deselected as the Conservative candidate for next year’s election in her Thirsk and Malton seat, in North Yorkshire.

Miss McIntosh, 59, has been a prominent figure during the recent flooding crisis as chair of the Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee.

She has fallen out with her local party’s executive, in particular chairman Peter Steveney, a retired Army major and former Jockey Club stewards’ secretary.

A secret report found that senior Tories in the constituency have fought a long battle with Miss McIntosh to deselect her as the party’s candidate in the next election.

Yesterday, Miss McIntosh received the support of Speaker John Bercow and Commons Leader Andrew Lansley.

After she raised a question about problems with drainage following the flooding, Mr Lansley said : “If I may – I don’t want to embarrass you – say it is further reflection of the very important work you do here on behalf of your constituents and others. You are a fine chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee and we much appreciate the work you do in this House.”

As Tory MPs cheered their support for the MP, Mr Bercow then added: “I hope the cheers for that proposition will be noted in the north of England.”

The internal inquiry found that the local executive broke the rules by co-opting a large number of new members on to the association’s executive board weeks before a vote where it was decided not to reselect her for the 2015 general election.

The investigation decided the way she was deselected was “fundamentally flawed” and its result should be set aside.

It also criticised Mr Steveney for a letter he sent to members last February, reminding them to make sure they had the “whole story” before they voted, and urging them to contact him for a personal response.

The inquiry panel report said: “This association is troubled by factions. It needs to unite, and personal feelings need to be set aside in the greater interest of the association and the party.

“Everyone was in agreement that the situation in Thirsk and Malton had spiralled out of control and was potentially damaging to the party’s standing locally.”

The Thirsk and Malton seat was newly created for the 2010 election, when Miss McIntosh won with a majority of 11,281 over the Lib Dems.

She was MP for the now-defunct Vale of York seat from 1997 to 2010.

Local party members are understood to be travelling to London for the ballot count this afternoon.

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Tory MP awaits deselection result