Tory Party Conference: Sleaze rules force sitting MPs to face  reselection: Candidate Selection:
By PAUL WAUGH POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT

ALL TORY MPs will face mandatory reselection before the next general election under radical new party rules aimed at rooting out sleaze. The plans, outlined to the National Conservative Convention at the conference yesterday, will force sitting MPs to undergo compulsory secret ballots of local members. The proposals will be voted on later this month by a special Constitutional College of local party officers, MPs, peers and MEPs, and are expected to be in place by November.

They were detailed for the first time to the convention yesterday as a grassroots campaign to embarrass Michael Ashcroft, the party Treasurer, was heavily defeated in a closed session of the conference. A motion from John Strafford, chairman of the Conservative Campaign for Democracy, received just seven votes out of 350 after delegates were told that his plan make the Treasurer an elected post risked dividing the party.

The reselection change - the biggest ever shake-up of Tory readoption procedures - were warmly welcomed by the rank and file. Under the rules, all MPs will be subject to a selection meeting of activists. If they fail to win a majority, they can then appeal to the whole of their constituency party in a one-member, one-vote secret ballot.

Supporters of the changes say they would ensure the Conservatives never again face the fiasco of the last election when local members were powerless to stop Neil Hamilton from standing as candidate in Tatton. Eurosceptics hope the rules will allow local parties to deselect pro-European MPs such as Kenneth Clarke and Michael Heseltine, although allies of both MPs point out they command substantial local support.

Such fears were fuelled when Eurosceptics unveiled a new 'Candidlist' website listing the European views of all candidates and MPs to allow members to find out where they stand on the single currency before selection or reselection. Some MPs had vigorously opposed the changes, believing they could plunge the Tories into the kind of bloodletting that haunted Labour MPs when the Bennite Left forced the party to adopt compulsory reselection in the early 1980s.

Archie Hamilton MP, chairman of the Tories' backbench 1922 Committee, said yesterday he expected the plans to win the overwhelming support of the Constitutional College.  Tory associations currently conduct re-adoption meetings with a show of hands, unless a third of members call for a secret ballot or the
constituency chairman decides to have one.

The party avoided more embarrassment over Mr Ashcroft when Mr Strafford's campaign for an elected Treasurer was snuffed out by fellow local association activists. But Mr Strafford said: 'It's not the end.Democracy is coming to the Tory party slowly but surely and I will not give up with this.'

The Independent
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