'Stitch-up of the worst kind'

Tory chair is put on shortlist of one to ensure he gets seat

- DAVID MADDOX

A fresh embarrassment has emerged for Rishi Sunak after Conservative Party chiefs were forced to put his hand-picked chair Richard Holden on a shortlist of one to ensure he had a seat to fight. Mr Holden is the only name listed for the Basildon and Billericay seat in Essex, which had a majority of 20,412 in 2019.

The move has caused fury in the local association which, it is understood, had already been in a stand-off with CCHQ because it wanted its own shortlist and not the one imposed by party bosses. But now the party has used emergency election rules which allow them to impose a single candidate 48 hours before the deadline. It is understood that the local association chair has protested by cancelling the special general meeting to make the selection.