Five more names go in purge of Tory right
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Your support makes all the difference.Iain Duncan Smith purged more right wingers from his campaign on Tuesday as he attempted to draw a line under the race row engulfing his leadership bid. The names of five MPs, all on the right of the party, have been quietly removed from Mr Duncan Smith's official supporters' list.
The five include the veteran Eurosceptic Bill Cash; Angela Watkinson, the newly-elected MP for Upminster and a member of the right-wing Monday Club, and John Hayes, Eurosceptic MP for South Holland and the Deepings. Richard Shepherd, the MP for Aldridge Brownhills, also appears to have been purged.
Andrew Hunter, the fifth MP, yesterday admitted that he met a former BNP member and self-styled fascist for a political discussion last Monday at the Carlton Club. Stuart Millson, who has described himself as a fascist and has dined with the French National Front leader Jean Marie Le Pen, also campaigned for Mr Hunter in his Basingstoke constituency at the general election, The Independent has learned.
Yesterday Mr Cash, who once favoured a referendum on withdrawal from the EU and has co-authored papers on Europe with Mr Duncan Smith, said he had "no explanation whatsoever" for the removal of his name. He plans to contact Mr Duncan Smith's campaign to ask for an explanation.
A spokeswoman for Mrs Watkinson was also baffledand said that when she contacted Mr Duncan Smith's campaign she was told that she was among "several MPs in the same situation" and that the problem would be resolved.
Mr Hayes' office was also puzzled that his name no longer featured on the list. He is a senior member of the campaign team and has organised a visit by Mr Duncan Smith to his constituency this week. Mr Hayes denied yesterday that Mr Duncan Smith was seeking to distance himself from his views.
A spokesman for Mr Duncan Smith said that the removal of the names was probably an error and that it would be looked into. He said that Mr Hunter was a supporter during the parliamentary stage of the leadership campaign but "is not active now". He added: "Iain has never had any dealings with the Monday Club, he has never spoken to them, he has not asked for its endorsement. There is no way that these MPs have been pulled off."
Mr Hunter, the deputy chairman of the Monday Club which supports the voluntary repatriation of immigrants, said he was "delighted" when Mr Millson offered to help him campaign against Labour and the Liberal Democrats in Basingstoke. He said he had spent a day"probably sticking envelopes and delivering leaflets".
The former BNP supporter was at the centre of a race row surrounding the Conservative party earlier this week.
Mr Hunter, who also has links to a right-wing website magazine, added: "I would say I have met him [Mr Millson] on a number of occasions over the past few years. I would say he is a political acquaintance. I don't know what his views on voluntary repatriation are."
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