Tory Chairman who oversaw dire by-election defeats not sure if he'll stand again

16 February 2024 , 10:42

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Tory Chairman who oversaw dire by-election defeats not sure if he'll stand again

The Tory Party chairman who oversaw two humiliating by-election defeats this week is not sure if he'll stand again at the general election.

Richard Holden was pressed on whether he plans to "desert the ship" after his party suffered devastating blows overnight in the Wellingborough and Kingswood by-elections where Labour overturned massive Tory majorities. The twin defeat will pile further pressure on Rishi Sunak's leadership as national polls suggest the Tories are on course for a historic wipeout at the general election.

Mr Holden, who as Tory Party chair oversees the party's campaigning, became North West Durham's first ever Conservative MP in 2019. But boundary changes mean the seat will be abolished at the next general election.

Hitting the airwaves this morning to defend the Tories' disastrous by-election night, Mr Holden was grilled on his personal ambitions at the general election. He said: "Obviously if I do go for selection anyway, that will be very much down to the local associations as to whether or not they decide to choose it."

LBC radio presenter Nick Ferrari replied: "So just to clarify, you are the Conservative Party chairman and you've said 'if you go for selection in the upcoming general election', so even the chairman might desert the ship."

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Mr Holden responded: "Well, I'm certainly not deserting anyone... I'm campaigning for, well, it's not, at the end of the day, it's not my choice as to whether the local associations will select me. We shall have to see and on that front whether or not they do."

Asked if he was seeking to be a candidate somewhere, he said: "Well, I'm hoping to, yes, over the next few months, but we'll have to have it we'll have to see whether that whether or not anybody, anybody wants me."

An incredulous Ms Ferrari said: "Hoping to?" He went on: "What I thought I might hear is: 'Yes, I'm absolutely determined to represent the Conservative Party... I can't tell you the areas obviously, but there are two or three or four areas that I've targeted... That's what I was hoping to hear but I hear from the Chair: 'Well, if' and 'I hope' and 'maybe.'"

Mr Holden said: "We'll have to see if there are any vacancies and if people decide to stand down or retire, but I'm hopeful that I will get selected somewhere that's just leave it at that."

When the boundary changes were confirmed last summer, Mr Holden said: "I am deeply disappointed - and frankly devastated - that the independent Boundary Commission for England accepted the Labour Party’s proposal to split North West Durham four ways, abolishing the seat and displacing me as the local MP."

Sophie Huskisson