Former prime minister Baroness Theresa May’s husband is involved in a row over the latest defection to Reform amid anger over candidate selection under Kemi Badenoch’s leadership.
Ipswich based businessman John Howard, who was chairman of the Ipswich Conservative Association for a decade, had put himself forward to run as the Tory candidate for mayor of Norfolk and Suffolk next year.
The property developer, who is a well known figure in local media, believed that his business skills and experience as an active member of the party made him a strong contender for the shortlist.
But after an interview with a panel of two assessors, including Baroness May’s husband Sir Philip May and head of the candidate committee Clare Hambro, he was rejected from a shortlist of five.
Mr Howard told The Independent that the rejection was “the last straw” for him as a Tory member having spent the previous five years “trying to defend the indefensible”, and he has now defected to Reform.
He said: “I have been trying to defend the indefensible for the last five years.
“Applying to be the candidate for the mayor was the final straw that actually made me realise that the Conservative Party do not listen to the grassroots.
“I’m aligned to really all the Reform policies as most Tory members are to be quite honest. And I think more and more are waking up to the point that actually Reform is the party of the future.”
He described his conversation with Sir Philip and Ms Hamro as “very pleasant”, adding: “I don’t know if they were the ones to veto me.”
But one senior Tory source said: “I find it hard to understand why a candidate with a strong business background, good media performer and strong local routes would be rejected out of hand. The party has not learned from its failures that have brought us to the point of extinction.
“The trouble is that they want candidates who have no personality and can’t think for themselves.”
It is understood that Sir Philip only acts as an assessor for candidates, and is not on the committee which decides shortlists and selections.
A Conservative spokesman declined to comment on the selection process and said its candidate for the mayor of Norfolk and Suffolk would be announced in due course.
Another Tory source said Mr Howard had failed his assessment centre competency tasks.
