Tory attempt to stitch up Chris Pincher’s seat could cost taxpayers thousands
A Tory attempt to stitch up Chris Pincher’s safe seat could cost taxpayers tens of thousands of pounds. Because of boundary changes, the Conservatives have already selected a Tory candidate to run in Tamworth at the general election - but he is currently a sitting MP, Eddie Hughes, for a different area.
In the meantime, they will be forced to put forward a “caretaker” Tory candidate after Mr Pincher was forced to resign as he lost his appeal against a suspension for drunkenly groping two men. If the Tory candidate wins the by-election, he will then be eligible for an almost £29,000 tax-free payout to make way for Mr Hughes at a general election sometime next year. This is on top of the £86,000 salary, as well as expenses, he would get as an MP.
Labour, who obtained the payout figure from Commons officials, called on Rishi Sunak to “do all he can to avoid a cost of tens of thousands of pounds to the taxpayer”. Mr Hughes was selected for the safe Tamworth seat as boundary changes are set to displace his current seat of Walsall North at the next election, but he is not expected to stand in the by-election in the meantime. It has left the Tories scrambling to find a candidate who will fill in for the short window before Mr Hughes is put forward, according to sources familiar with the by-election race.
Labour’s deputy campaign coordinator Ellie Reeves said: “They knew there would be a by-election in Tamworth, but they still selected a current MP as the candidate. The Conservatives protected and even promoted Chris Pincher despite serious allegations into his conduct. Rishi Sunak should do all he can to avoid a cost of tens of thousands of pounds to the taxpayer. The people of Tamworth and its surrounding villages deserve a voice in parliament that they can be proud of. That’s what Labour will work every day to give them, to rebuild pride in Tamworth.”
Keir Starmer said that people in Chris Pincher's Tamworth constituency have been "desperately let down". "The contrast this week couldn't be starker could it," he told broadcasters. "I've just put my top team on the table through the reshuffle that will take us into the election, focusing on the country. And yet we've got another resignation of a Tory MP in disgrace, another by-election.
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"And Tamworth, people living there have been desperately let down and they now get the chance, through Sarah Edwards, the Labour candidate, to have someone who will fight for that constituency and be part of something that is about fixing, rebuilding, and taking our country forwards."
The Standards Committee found in July that Mr Pincher's conduct last summer was "profoundly damaging" and amounted to an abuse of power. His actions were described as "unwanted, inappropriate and upsetting". The eight-week suspension would have triggered a recall petition if it had been approved by MPs, which was almost inevitable. A by-election would then have followed if the petition was signed by 10% of constituents.
Mr Pincher appealed the punishment, arguing it was disproportionate, but the Independent Expert Panel said Mr Pincher's arguments were "misconceived or erroneous" and backed the committee's proposed sanction. He resigned from his Government post after the incident, which proved to be the final nail in the coffin of Boris Johnson's time as prime minister amid anger at his handling of the affair.
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