Was young Tory worker bullied to his death?
A YOUNG Conservative activist is believed to have killed himself after complaining about bullying by members of the party.
Elliott Johnson, 21, had been working for the Thatcherite campaign group Conservative Way Forward for just three months when he was found dead on the tracks at a railway station.
His father said he had ‘ found himself in a snake pit’ when he began working in Westminster.
In a note left in his bedroom on September 15, Mr Johnson is understood to have specified the names of campaigners and party members. His body was found at Sandy station in Bedfordshire that evening.
The party had already launched an internal disciplinary procedure in August which led to one member being suspended and three others having their accreditation rescinded for next month’s conference.
British Transport Police are now preparing a file for a coroner.
Mr Johnson’s father, Ray, 57, said his son ‘was an idealist but he found himself in a snake pit’.
‘You think of a party having the same agenda. But there’s uncontrolled factionalism within, with people fighting each other for pole position,’ he told the Guardian. ‘We want to find out who did these things ... We want to know how long the Conservative Party had concerns and why nothing was done to keep young people safe.’
Nottingham University graduate Mr Johnson joined CWF as political editor in June. But he switched to a part-time post as social media consultant in August to avoid redundancy.
His father, who lives in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, with wife Alison, 53, told the Daily Mail his son had seemed happy in recent weeks but had complained about one incident.
‘ He mentioned being verbally abused on one occasion which caused him to make a complaint to the Conservative Party,’ he said. ‘He said it involved somebody senior to him, although not from CWF or an MP.’
Adding that he had not heard anything from the party, Mr Johnson senior said: ‘There is a lack of interest as far as I can see ... Why didn’t they do something earlier? There’s a degree of culpability.’
Last night the Conservative Party said it had sent a letter of condolence this week. A spokesman said: ‘Everyone in the Conservative Party is deeply saddened at the death of Elliott Johnson. The circumstances surrounding his death are in the hands of the coroner and it is not appropriate to comment on those at this time. The Party’s own, separate, disciplinary inquiry is in relation to complaints received from Mr Johnson and others against a member of the party. This ... was launched as soon as a complaint was received in August 2015.’ For confidential support, call the Samaritans on 08457 909090 or go to www.samaritans.org.
‘He found himself in a snakepit’