Gorman `baffled' by mayoral rejection

Conservative Eurosceptic MP Mrs Teresa Gorman said she was "baffled and very disappointed" yesterday at being omitted from the…

Conservative Eurosceptic MP Mrs Teresa Gorman said she was "baffled and very disappointed" yesterday at being omitted from the list of candidates for Mayor of London who will be interviewed later this week to run on the party ticket.

It was only a few hours after the nominations closed on Monday that Mrs Gorman's office confirmed she had put her name forward to be considered as the party's candidate for mayor and a battle was set between the MP for Billericay, and the favourite, the former transport minister, Mr Steven Norris.

However, within hours, the leaders of the Conservative Party in London met to consider the applications and Mrs Gorman's name did not go forward onto the list of nine candidates who will be interviewed by the panel on Saturday.

Mr Norris was successful and Mrs Gorman was informed late on Monday night.

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Mrs Gorman immediately pledged her support for the chosen candidate but in a reference to Mr Norris's opposition to legislation which bans local authorities from promoting homosexuality as a normal practice, she added: "I shall of course support the chosen candidate, whom I presume will be required to follow the party line on clause 28 without equivocation.

"What matters is that Conservatives win this contest and apply good free market solutions to the problems experienced in the Labour-controlled boroughs."

The Conservative Party in London declined to give any reason other than it had received "a large number of initial nominations, too many for the subsequent rounds" for its decision to leave Mrs Gorman off the list of potential candidates.

However, Mrs Gorman was one of the Tory MPs who lost the Whip when Mr John Major was in power in the 1980s over her opposition to the Maastricht Treaty. It is likely that her "colourful" career, including questions raised about her investments and strong anti-European stance, did not go down well. The nine candidates will be interviewed by the London Tories after which an electoral college will select three or four candidates to go forward to a hustings meeting.

The process continues through to January 17th when members will be balloted to choose their preferred candidate.

The chairman of the Greater London Labour Party, Mr Jim Fitzpatrick MP, said the decision not to include Mrs Gorman on the shortlist was evidence of "the chaos and confusion of today's Tories". In a week which has produced damaging headlines for Labour's Mr Frank Dobson, yesterday it was Mr Ken Livingstone's turn.

Fresh from denying claims that it had briefed against Mr Dobson, suggesting he was suffering from depression, the Livingstone camp was faced with suggestions that their man would stand as an independent candidate if he failed to win the Labour nomination for mayor.

Dirty tricks in both camps have been blamed for the stories, with some observers suggesting that if Mr Livingstone was portrayed as a bad loser he might lose supporters when the members of Labour's electoral college select their candidate next year, all of which would be to Mr Dobson's benefit.