‘Deselected’ couple in blast at Tory party
...as new Conservative leader unveiled
ACOUNCILLOR who was reinstated along with her husband to Rossendale’s Conservative group last year after a standards investigation says they have both been deselected.
Husband- and- wi f e councillors David Stansfield and Val Roberts will not be standing for the Conservatives at next May’s local elections.
The pair were reinstated to the party last March, after an internal standards investigation before which former group leader Coun Roberts, member for Greenfield, was originally suspended and Coun Stansfield, member for Helmshore, was expelled.
A statement from the Conservative group, in ●» Alan Woods and Laura-Beth Thompson are Rossendale Conservatives’ candidates for May 2020 in Helmshore and Greenfield respectively which they unveiled their new candidates for next May’s local elections, said: “Current ward councillors Val Roberts and David Stansfield will not seek reelection at the end of their current term.”
However, Coun Roberts told the Free Press they were not standing down from their seats voluntarily, but have been deselected by Rossendale & Darwen Conservative Association (RDCA).
She said: “[They] have decided that they will put who they want in seats and seem resolute in letting people stand in mine and Dave’s seats who have never done the job before. Dave has been a County Councillor for Helmshore since May 2013 and was returned with a majority.
“Dave has been the local Councillor for Helmshore since May 2016. He is very involved with the ins and outs and residents seem very happy with him. I have been a Greenfield councillor since 2016 and always get a good response on the doorstep, especially in Rydal and Thirlmere as Dave and I working together have at last got these roads completely re-surfaced after years of other councillors trying.”
She added: “All the hard work we have put in seems worth nothing to the RDCA - their only concern is keeping [MP] Jake Berry in place and having a group of people around them to do their bidding. Dave and I will only go with what the residents want us to do - after all they put us there - and if this conflicts with what RDCA want we get black marks. We are put here by the residents and they should come first and foremost.”
Coun Roberts added she will be standing in next May’s local elections as an Independent, while Coun Stansfield will stand as an Independent in the County Council elections in 2021.
Councillors Roberts and Stansfield will remain on the borough council until next May.
Coun Peter Steen, who has been announced as new acting party leader this week in place of Coun Brian Essex, said: “We’d like to thank David and Val for their service to the council and their residents over the last three and a half years.
“I’m looking forward to working with them and our new candidates over the next six months as we fight to win a Conservative majority and deliver a council which works for everyone in Rossendale.”
The Conservatives have unveiled Alan Woods and Laura-Beth Thompson as their replacement candidates for Helmshore and Greenfield ward, Haslingden respectively. The candidates were announced along with a promise to gift land at the back of Haslingden Cemetery to residents. Last week the lead Labour group scrapped plans to develop a facility for five-tonne vehicles at the cemetery, after a petition was signed by nearly 3,000 people.
Mr Woods, from Helmshore, said: “Conservatives supported the residents’ campaign and thankfully these crazy plans have been dropped. It is now only right that by way of an apology the land is given to residents for the creation of a memorial garden.”
Ms Thompson, who contested the Irwell ward in Bacup for the Tories at the 2016 local elections, said: “Like so many residents I am incredibly frustrated that Haslingden always feels like the poor relation to Rossendale. These plans highlighted that - Rawtenstall is seeing redevelopment so Haslingden has to lose out. Enough is enough. Haslingden deserves better and we will work hard to improve the town.”