Flight buries hatchet with Conservative Party
Ostracised Conservative MP Howard Flight has said he will not be standing as an independent at the general election.
Tory leader Michael Howard moved quickly to ban him from standing as a candidate for Arundel and South Downs after he suggested the Tories would cut spending more than the party’s cost-cutting James review had recommended.
In the wake of his de-selection from the constituency seat, Mr Flight said he would be standing against the party on May 5.
But in an “emotional” speech in his former constituency last night. Mr Flight made his peace with the party.
“It would be ridiculous for me, who has been a Conservative for 40 years, to be the one that stops them winning.”
“With the general election now called it is clearly necessary to close down this episode,” the former deputy chairman said.
“The Conservative Party is bigger than any one man: Christabel and I have, therefore concluded that, as life long, committed Conservatives, I could not stand as an independent.”
A shortlist of three replacement candidates was drawn up by the local association’s executive committee on Monday from a list of 10.
Nick Herbert, director of the think-tank Reform, was subsequently picked to replace Mr Flight.
