balloonboy
aka Jim in the West
Apparently this was in the Argus yesterday......If it's been debated to death already, my apologies, but I couldn't see anything.
"Election hopeful David Logan was dropped by the
Conservatives for backing the Falmer stadium bid.
The Tory candidate for Kemp Town in Brighton was forced to
resign by members of his own party who are opposed to the
proposed Brighton and Hove Albion stadium, it emerged
today.
The association is split down the middle over the issue and
it is understood the briefing against Mr Logan began when
he appeared in The Argus last month with shadow sports
minister Hugh Robertson backing the stadium.
Conservatives have agreed not to speak publicly about the
reasons for Mr Logan standing down.
His supporters strongly denied suggestions Mr Logan had
been sacked by Conservative Central Office because of a
weak election campaign.
One senior party member said: "When David was effectively
forced to resign he did so on the basis that there was a
localised campaign.
"But there was a major falling out on one policy issue with
a small number of people. It was about the Falmer stadium.
"The campaign team meeting was hijacked. There was a group
of people who were very firmly against the bid and they
called a motion of no confidence.
"They would not tolerate their candidate even having a view
on the issue so David's position was impossible and he
tendered his resignation."
The Kemp Town seat is among the Conservatives' target seats
at the next election, along with Brighton Pavilion and Hove
and Portslade.
Labour increased its majority at the last election to 4,922
after first snatching the constituency from the Tories at
the 1997 election landslide.
The insider added: "I'm sure there was an element of the
fact the selection process was very unpopular with the same
group of people even before he arrived."
Mr Logan declined to comment further than his initial
statement that there was "no scandal" attached to the
resignation.
Brian Dando, the Conservative chairman in Kemp Town, said:
"We had our regular campaign meeting when we review all
activities of the campaign and we also look at policy
issues. We did not get satisfaction from David Logan on
some of these matters.
"We held a full meeting of the executive council. When Mr
Logan was asked to speak, he read a prepared statement in
which he tendered his resignation.
"Falmer was one of the issues we discussed. We have had a
policy of being against Falmer as we feel match days will
be a big problem in many parts of the constituency."
Albion are waiting for a decision from Deputy Prime
Minister John Prescott about plans to build a 23,000 seat
stadium on the edge of Falmer.
A public inquiry is expected to draw to a close next month
after Mr Prescott ordered further investigation into
alternative sites.
Conservative challengers for all three Labour-controlled
seats in the city hoped to make political capital from the
fact the Labour Government had stalled plans for a
community stadium.
Mike Weatherley, the Tory candidate for the neighbouring
Brighton Pavilion seat, confirmed the sacking of Mr Logan
had not dented his support for the Falmer proposal.
He said: "I fully support Brighton and Hove Albion's bid to
relocate to a new Falmer stadium - and even have the
T-shirt to prove it."
Des Turner, the Labour MP for Kemp Town, said: "This all
looks to be a bit of a shambles and puts any future
candidate in a rather invidious position.
"If he fails to support Falmer, he will not be getting any
votes from Albion fans but if he does back the proposal, he
will lose the support of his own party.
"This also puts the lid on any suggestion Labour is trying
to delay the inquiry or we are the ones not supporting
Falmer.
"There is no mileage now for Albion supporters voting
Tory."
A substitute candidate for Mr Logan will be chosen by the
end of January as the expected date of the election of May
5 approaches. "
"Election hopeful David Logan was dropped by the
Conservatives for backing the Falmer stadium bid.
The Tory candidate for Kemp Town in Brighton was forced to
resign by members of his own party who are opposed to the
proposed Brighton and Hove Albion stadium, it emerged
today.
The association is split down the middle over the issue and
it is understood the briefing against Mr Logan began when
he appeared in The Argus last month with shadow sports
minister Hugh Robertson backing the stadium.
Conservatives have agreed not to speak publicly about the
reasons for Mr Logan standing down.
His supporters strongly denied suggestions Mr Logan had
been sacked by Conservative Central Office because of a
weak election campaign.
One senior party member said: "When David was effectively
forced to resign he did so on the basis that there was a
localised campaign.
"But there was a major falling out on one policy issue with
a small number of people. It was about the Falmer stadium.
"The campaign team meeting was hijacked. There was a group
of people who were very firmly against the bid and they
called a motion of no confidence.
"They would not tolerate their candidate even having a view
on the issue so David's position was impossible and he
tendered his resignation."
The Kemp Town seat is among the Conservatives' target seats
at the next election, along with Brighton Pavilion and Hove
and Portslade.
Labour increased its majority at the last election to 4,922
after first snatching the constituency from the Tories at
the 1997 election landslide.
The insider added: "I'm sure there was an element of the
fact the selection process was very unpopular with the same
group of people even before he arrived."
Mr Logan declined to comment further than his initial
statement that there was "no scandal" attached to the
resignation.
Brian Dando, the Conservative chairman in Kemp Town, said:
"We had our regular campaign meeting when we review all
activities of the campaign and we also look at policy
issues. We did not get satisfaction from David Logan on
some of these matters.
"We held a full meeting of the executive council. When Mr
Logan was asked to speak, he read a prepared statement in
which he tendered his resignation.
"Falmer was one of the issues we discussed. We have had a
policy of being against Falmer as we feel match days will
be a big problem in many parts of the constituency."
Albion are waiting for a decision from Deputy Prime
Minister John Prescott about plans to build a 23,000 seat
stadium on the edge of Falmer.
A public inquiry is expected to draw to a close next month
after Mr Prescott ordered further investigation into
alternative sites.
Conservative challengers for all three Labour-controlled
seats in the city hoped to make political capital from the
fact the Labour Government had stalled plans for a
community stadium.
Mike Weatherley, the Tory candidate for the neighbouring
Brighton Pavilion seat, confirmed the sacking of Mr Logan
had not dented his support for the Falmer proposal.
He said: "I fully support Brighton and Hove Albion's bid to
relocate to a new Falmer stadium - and even have the
T-shirt to prove it."
Des Turner, the Labour MP for Kemp Town, said: "This all
looks to be a bit of a shambles and puts any future
candidate in a rather invidious position.
"If he fails to support Falmer, he will not be getting any
votes from Albion fans but if he does back the proposal, he
will lose the support of his own party.
"This also puts the lid on any suggestion Labour is trying
to delay the inquiry or we are the ones not supporting
Falmer.
"There is no mileage now for Albion supporters voting
Tory."
A substitute candidate for Mr Logan will be chosen by the
end of January as the expected date of the election of May
5 approaches. "
wont vote blue
