SENIOR TORY REJECTED BY CONSTITUENCY PARTY
Tory Sir Patrick Cormack, one of the longest-serving and most respected MPs in the Commons, failed to get readopted as Conservative candidate for South Staffordshire at the next General Election, at a meeting of the constituency executive last night.
The decision - by the narrowest of margins - was a particular shock since Sir Patrick had the biggest swing to the Conservatives - 9.4% - at the last General Election.
But Sir Patrick, 67, who has been an MP since 1970, has indicated that he will not take this setback lying down.
He has the opportunity of seeking the endorsement of the entire constituency membership, of some 500 people. But he has been telling friends that he will stand at the next election in this constituency come what may.
MPs who have been rejected by their constituency parties have been known to stand as Independents. Sir Patrick has a big personal following in South Staffordshire, and local Tories believe he could well beat an official Conservative candidate if that situation arose.
Sir Patrick said today: "At a meeting of the South Staffordshire Conservative Association executive last night, which was attended by some 30 people, the resolution that I should be readopted as candidate for the next election was narrowly defeated.
"I don't know the exact figures but I do know it was extremely close because 14 people subsequently pledged their unswerving support, including the chairman, Councillor David Billson.
"As far as I am concerned, I am looking upon this as a very minor setback. I have every intention of giving the electors of South Staffordshire the chance to pass their verdict on my services at the next election."
He said that not a single word of criticism of his duties in the constituency or in Parliament was uttered at the meeting.
"The only critical comment made was my failure to put the word 'Conservative' sufficiently prominently on my election literature.
"As I had the largest swing to the Conservatives in the country at the last election, I did not take that particularly seriously."
Sir Patrick was first elected to Parliament in 1970 and has since enjoyed uninterrupted service, first as the MP for Cannock, from 1970 to 1974, and since then as the Member for South Staffordshire (formerly called South West Staffordshire).
At the last General Election, his polling day was delayed for seven weeks because of the death of his Liberal Democrat opponent during the campaign.
Nevertheless, he increased both his share of the vote and his majority, and achieved the largest swing of the whole General Election. His current majority, which represents 52.05% of the vote, is 8,847.
Sir Patrick is a former party spokesman on constitutional affairs and a former shadow deputy leader of the House of Commons, a post he resigned in 2000 in order to contest the Speakership election later that year.
He has served on many Commons' Committees, including the Education and Foreign Affairs Select Committees. He was a member of the House of Commons Commission from 2001 until 2005 and chairman of the Commons Works of Art Committee from 1987 to 2001. Since 1979 he has been chairman of the all-party Arts and Heritage Group.
In July 2005 Sir Patrick became chairman of the Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee.
He is also convenor of an all-party group concerned with the reform of the House of Lords.
He edited the parliamentary House Magazine from 1983 to 2005 and is now life president of the magazine and chairman of the editorial board. He writes and broadcasts regularly and is a team captain of BBC's Parliamentary Questions quiz.
From 1995 to 2005 he served on the General Synod of the Church of England as an elected member.
