Huw Merriman, MP for Bexhill and Battle
re: Will the Brexit Party put up a candidate against Huw Merriman in the ‘safe’ constituency of Bexhill and Battle? How will the people of Pevensey Bay vote if a General Election is called?
I found your article interesting, about whether the Brexit Party will challenge Huw Merriman. Perhaps more to the point is – Will Huw Merriman be the Conservative candidate for Bexhill and Battle for the next General election?
As a member of the Bexhill Conservative party obviously these things are of special interest to me. We watched our party lose control of Rother council over the single issue of a Bexhill town council, despite many Conservatives like myself backing the idea of a town council. Unlike Conservative friends I remained loyal voting for our councillors. We also had the European elections when the Conservative party was destroyed and humiliated, again unlike many Conservative friends I remained loyal. But I feel their frustration at how out of touch the party locally and nationally is with its own members.
A big % of Conservative voters and members are leaving, and voting for other parties. Then we have Huw Merriman MP married with 3 children, causing huge embarrassment by national newspaper headlines accusing him of a string of affairs and having a baby with a Westminster aide.
Local Conservative members and voters are as far away from those who run the party as is possible, and we expect a candidate with clean hands. If Huw Merriman is made the candidate again many will not renew their memberships and will be lost to the party for ever. There is a limit to members patience.
I really fear that the well organised Rother Alliance will field a single candidate and win the Seat. Also should the Brexit Party stand, or an Independent Conservative to represent members not being listened to, the split vote could let someone else in like the recent by-election.
I guess it all comes down to will the local party at last listen to its grass root members and voters, or are they happy to not just lose the council, get humiliated in the European elections, but also lose a 20,000 majority through pig headedness?
Paul Minter
