Want to keep up to date on Welsh politics? Sign up and get political news sent straight to your inbox Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Conservative activists in two Welsh target seats are angry that general election candidates are being imposed on them by the central party.

An opinion poll released earlier this week suggested that Bridgend and Newport West could both be won from Labour by the Tories on June 8.

But local hopefuls have been swept aside in favour of a shortlist of two outsiders in Bridgend and just one in Newport West.

A Bridgend Conservative told us: “As a concerned member of the Conservative Party in Bridgend, a seat which the Prime Minister has just visited, I wanted you to be aware of a situation which is developing.

“The party centrally is trying to impose a shortlist of two candidates on us – Dan Boucher and Karen Robson – neither of whom are from the local area. They had an opportunity to shortlist three candidates but chose not to. This is in spite of high-calibre local candidates putting their names forward.”

Ms Robson has previously been a Westminster and an Assembly candidate in two Cardiff seats while Dr Boucher was a candidate in Wales for the European Parliament in 2014 and in South Wales West at last year’s Assembly election.

“This situation has been challenged by a number of members who have written to the party hierarchy at Conservative HQ in London and Cardiff to ensure that we have our local choice of candidate on the shortlist. Not only that but the rules simply haven’t been followed.”

The activist claimed that instead of reviewing their decision and listening to the local membership the party was closing ranks and bullying local members, threatening them with supportive measures if they don’t comply.

“The majority of members are up in arms as this is an outrage and tearing our association apart in a target seat,” said the Bridgend party member. “It is hardly an example of strong and stable leadership in the national interest. This is immoral and treats all of us hard-working volunteers who have been here through thick and thin with contempt.

(Image: Rebecca Naden/PA)

“Some senior members are threatening to resign and there will be a meeting on Sunday at 7pm at which there will be an attempt to overturn this decision to force a candidate upon us and ensure that our excellent local candidate can contest this important election.”

An email to executive members of the Bridgend party from Carolyn Webster, who chairs it, and David Deere the president, said: “[We] have over the past day received emails about the candidates selection process for the general election in five weeks time. According to the special rules laid out by the Conservative Party, nominations are the responsibility of the party chairman.

“Due to the rules being met and the candidate nomination process being complete there is no requirement for us to meet other than at the meeting on Sunday in the Atlantic Hotel as planned.

“The rules state that if the association fails to nominate one of the candidates put forward for selection then a candidate will be appointed and the association will be put into supportive measures.”

In Newport West Angela Jones-Evans has been imposed on the local party. A former Assembly candidate for the Vale of Glamorgan, she has been working for MEP Dr Kay Swinburne.

(Image: Wales News Service)

The 2015 candidate in the seat Nick Webb tweeted to local Labour MP Paul Flynn: “I did apply to stand for Newport West but was not offered a place on the shortlist drawn up by the Conservative Party.”

A Newport West Tory source said: “At least Bridgend has two candidates to choose from. We have no choice.”

A Welsh Labour source said: “Selecting candidates quickly is one thing but stitching up seats for friends of the Prime Minister is another. It just shows that the Tories don’t understand anything about Wales. Madeleine Moon has been a pretty effective MP for Bridgend since 2005 and it’s going to take more than dropping on of the PM’s mates in at the last minute to beat her.”

Rob Semple, chairman of the National Conservative Convention, responded: “Given the shortened timeframe we have worked hard to ensure that associations and their members are given a choice of candidates where possible. The senior volunteers have been and will continue to be fully engaged throughout the process – and ultimately must agree any shortlist given to associations.

“We have also made sure that associations who wish to reselect their 2015 candidate can do so as quickly as possible so we can get out and fight the election and help deliver the strong, stable government our country needs.”