The Conservative party chairman refused to answer questions about the controversy over his choice after being chosen to occupy a “safe seat” 300 miles away from his former constituency.
Richard Holden was chosen to be the Conservatives’ parliamentary candidate in Basildon and Billericay in Essex last week, after being the only candidate on the list.
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The choice sparked a furore among local Conservatives, as before the election was called he was the MP for North West Durham – an area hundreds of miles away to which he claimed to be “very loyal”.
Basildon and Billericay are seen as a “safe seat” with their former MP John Baron, who stood down for election, winning a majority of more than 20,000 votes in 2019.
Holden refused to answer questions over the line when speaking to broadcasters on Sunday.
Asked several times how he could justify being “parachuted into a safe place” with a candidate of just one, he went on a tangent about Labor politics tax private school feesand comments made by shadow minister Emily Thornberry.
He said: “This interview is about Emily Thornberry’s comments today when she admitted that it will be our children across the country who will pay the price for the Labor Party’s decision to try to tax private schools if they come to power.”
Holden was referring to Ms Thornberry, who said class sizes in public schools could increase as a result of Labor adding VAT to private school fees, which could cause some students to leave the independent sector.
He said: “I think this is a horrible price to pay… for the Labor Party’s ideological obsession.”
Asked to deny whether he was part of a “boost” with his seat selection, Mr Holden again pointed to Ms Thornberry’s comments.
Asked why he said in February that he was “very loyal” to the North East – where he has been an MP since 2019 – he said he was answering questions about the Channel 4 selection dispute.
He was told that C4 is a broadcaster and he was taking part in a pool clip – where broadcasters share their footage – but Holden was still not interested in the topic.
Holden ‘an embarrassment to the Conservative Party’
His refusal to answer questions drew strong condemnation from a Conservative candidate, who told Sky deputy political editor Sam Coates that he is a “disgrace to the Conservative Party”.
They added: “He has placed himself above the candidates. He has demonstrated complete disdain for party members. The only reason this idiot will not be associated with this disastrous election is because no one believes anyone considers him competent, capable or trustworthy enough to get involved in the daily decision-making of this campaign.
“It’s a running joke among candidates that they hope there will be a Labor gain in Basildon and Billericay.”
Former Defense Secretary Sir Liam Fox offered more muted criticism, telling Sky News: “I think when politicians stop answering questions directly, the public stops listening.”
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PM ‘on the road in the next few days’
Holden also faced questions about Rishi Sunak, who has been accused of avoiding the media as controversy continues over his early exit from an international D-Day event.
Sunak avoids D-Day questions
Asked if he is in hiding, Holden said: “The prime minister will be on the road, I’m sure, in the next few days, fighting for every vote across the country.”
Sunak has been campaigning in Yorkshire without his usual media pack today after facing accusations of “dodging” reporters’ questions on Saturday, as the row over his D-Day snub continues.
The Prime Minister was forced to apologize on Friday for missing an international ceremony attended by world leaders, including US President Joe Biden, to mark the 80th anniversary of the Allied landings.
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But reactions continued to emerge from rivals, veterans and some members of his own party, with conservative commentator Tim Montgomerie calling the early exit “the biggest gaffe I remember in politics.”
The ongoing criticism, coming amid a 20-point deficit in the polls, has even fueled speculation that Sunak could resign before election day – something minister Mel Stride was forced to end on Sunday.
He told Sky News that Sunak will “absolutely” lead the party into the election.
“There should be no question of anything other than that,” he said.
This story originally appeared on News.sky.com read the full story
