Town's Tories will not turn out for party conference (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Town's Tories will not turn out for party conference

SWINDON'S 32 Tory councillors have all decided to steer clear of the party's crunch conference, the Advertiser has learnt.

Not one of the town's Conservative politicians will attend any part of the four-day gathering of the party faithful in Blackpool this week.

Council leader Mike Bawden even caught a holiday flight to St Petersburg, Russia, yesterday morning only hours before the conference was due to start.

This year's gathering has been touted as a beauty contest, with five leadership contenders fighting to win the affections of Tory grassroot members.

But no Swindon councillor will be in the conference hall to hear the 15-minute pitches by the hopefuls.

Coun Garry Perkins, the chairman of the Swindon South Conservative Association, said councillors were conducting interviews for 12 senior town hall positions and that executive members had to attend a cabinet meeting tomorrow.

He said: "I have not been able to identify any councillors who are going, although there might be a some association members.

"It is unusual for no councillors to attend. It's not a case of making people. It's their own choice."

MPs will start voting on who should succeed Michael Howard next week. They will whittle the shortlist down to two leading contenders.

Party members across the country will then be asked to make the final vote, with the result due to be announced on December 6.