LONDON - A senior shadow cabinet member has admitted that the Tory pre-election recovery has foundered because of the furore over Howard Flight's sacking.
As Michael Howard, the Tory leader, desperately tried to draw a line under the affair, David Davis hinted at doubts over the handling of the episode. The Shadow Home Secretary told Sky TV yesterday that he backed the decision. But he added: "It's a distraction, there's no doubt about that. But Michael had to make a judgement about what to do on that. He made that judgement and he stuck by it."
Mr Flight, who was dismissed for suggesting that the Tories had not revealed the true extent of their plans to cut government spending, has vowed to fight his removal as candidate for the safe seat of Arundel and South Downs. He said his lawyers had advised him that the Tory leadership cannot block his candidacy.
Party chiefs are appalled by the prospect of a trial of strength between party headquarters and local activists backing Mr Flight. They already face a separate rebellion from activists in Slough opposed to the removal of their candidate.
Andrew Mackay, the deputy chairman in charge of candidate selection, called in officials from Arundel to begin the search for a replacement for Mr Flight. A shortlist will be finalised at a meeting of the association executive on Monday and presented to local members on Wednesday.
For the third day running, the controversy overshadowed a policy initiative by Mr Howard, who travelled to Blackpool to deliver a stinging attack on Labour plans for defence cuts.
The Tory leader had to be smuggled in through the venue's kitchens to avoid questions from waiting journalists on the Flight affair.
Oliver Letwin, the Shadow Chancellor, said the Conservatives had learnt lessons from public ambiguity over their spending plans at the last election as he defended the sacking of Mr Flight.
Mr Letwin said the party leadership had been "absolutely transparent" about its detailed plans for savings, spending and tax cuts up until 2007/08.
He added: "It wasn't an easy decision for [Michael Howard] to take, it hasn't been easy emotionally for anybody involved. But what he was making clear with that dramatic gesture was that we mean to act in government exactly as we set out in opposition."
Yesterday, the former Tory MP Teresa Gorman accused Mr Howard of "spitting in the eye" of Mr Flight by blocking him as a candidate.
She said: "Mr Howard has more than something of the night about him. He has something of the knife about him. Howard Flight deserved no such brutality."
A Tory activist who claims to have been barred from the shortlist for the seat of Surrey Heath to replace Nick Hawkins, who was ousted by local members, mounted a stinging attack last night on the party leadership.
Ian Bell said: "They basically excluded the local Tory people. It's a dictatorship - that's what it looks to me."
Gary Mond, who chaired the meeting where Mr Flight made his remarks, has blamed the storm on Labour spin.
In a letter to The Independent, he said: "All Mr Flight was saying was that a Conservative government would need to review the situation once elected. During questions he vigorously defended Conservative Party policy - and Michael Howard - from criticisms that the Conservatives were not being more radical."
Mr Howard has denounced planned defence cuts as a "stab in the back" for men and women sent to war by Tony Blair. Infantry battalions are being reduced from 40 to 36 under a shake-up which will create a Scottish "super-regiment". The Tories have pledged to spend £2.7bn to save the regiments, if elected.
- Independent
Conservatives fear sacking will 'distract' from election campaign
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