This Saturday sees an open primary in Macclesfield to select a Conservative candidate to succeed Sir Nicholas Winterton, who has represented the seat in Parliament since 1971.
The six finalists are listed here, but in advance of Saturday's meeting, the Macclesfield Express reports today that two leading members of the local association walked out of an executive meeting on Monday in protest at the way the selection has been handled.
Andy Lea, association treasurer and one of the six members of the committee which was charged with drawing up the shortlist at a meeting at CCHQ in London, told the paper that he had resigned, citing "excessive pressure from central office and unfair and irregular practices to exclude local people from the process". He said:
"The deputy chairman also resigned last night as he felt unable to continue given the circumstances, and I don’t blame him. I am hugely disappointed by the way central office has behaved, with little regard for the local membership or the people of Macclesfield. Sir Nicholas has spoken in the past about Cameron’s mafia, and I have now seen it myself first hand. I can understand why ordinary people feel disenfranchised from the political process and don’t trust politicians. Having been part of a process that I know was fundamentally wrong and unfair I feel I have no choice but to speak out."
He suggested that local candidates were put at a disadvantage and that the association should have stood up to what he described as "the bullies in London".
Cllr Darryl Beckford - who had hoped to be in the running for the nomination himself - is the deputy chairman who resigned alongside Mr Lea, saying that he felt "disappointed with the way things have gone".
Whilst I do not know the ins and outs of the specific situation in Macclesfield ConservativeHome has previously cited here our concerns that the selection procedure as now constituted has taken too much power and choice away from members.
Jonathan Isaby