Senior Tory Party figure to stand in local elections (From The Northern Echo)

Senior Tory Party figure to stand in local elections

11:13am Saturday 5th April 2008

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ONE of the most senior figures in the Conservative Party has provided the first major surprise of the election campaign in the North-East by confirming he is to stand in a previously safe Labour seat.

Michael Bates, a former cabinet minister and current deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, is standing in the Framwellgate Moor division, in Durham City, where the Conservatives polled only nine per cent of the vote at the most recent election.

Mr Bates, who previously served as Paymaster General in John Majorfs government, will be trying to oust sitting county councillor George Burlison, who won the seat in 2006 and previously served two terms on Brandon and Byshottles Parish Council.

The 46-year-old former MP for Langbaurgh now lives in the city and is a director of the Vardy Group, which is based in Durham.

Mr Bates explained his surprise decision to stand in the division, which has 7,500 voters and is made up of a number of villages on the outskirts of Durham, including Framwellgate Moor, Bearpark, Brasside, Witton Gilbert and Pity Me.

He said: gIts the ward where I live, where I work and I believe passionately in fielding candidates in every ward.

gIt is important that we field as many candidates as we can and, like a lot of people, my view is that you should not ask people to do something you are not prepared to do yourself.h Asked about his chances of winning the seat, where the Conservatives came fourth with only 246 votes in 2006, he replied wryly: gWefre trying to win everywhere.h Councillor Don Ross won the seat for Labour in 2001 with an overwhelming 876 majority over the Lib Dems, which was cut to 387 in 2005.

In a by-election held in June 2006, following the death of Coun Ross, Coun Burlison held on to the seat with a 150-vote majority over Rev Crooks for the Lib Dems.

Coun Burlison, a 53-year-old social worker and former trade union official, was surprised to discover that a Tory grandee was among his election opponents.

He said: gI think having an excabinet minister standing will be interesting. I welcome healthy debate on policies rather than the election being personalised and about individuals.

gOur policies will be poles apart but itfs a chance to put forward what I want to do in the constituency and then the electorate can make a decision.h Coun Burlison said: gI will even offer to buy him a pint at the Tap and Spile after the election.h The full list of candidates for the two seats in Framwellgate Moor division is: Michael Bates (Conservative); George William Burlison (Labour); Simon Paul Carey (Independent); Rev Crooks (Lib Dem); Terry Moderate (Independent); Ralph Steven Musgrave (British National Party); Mark Wilkes (Lib Dem); Marion Wilson (Labour); Pat Wynne (Conservative).

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