Elliott Johnson: Tory activist found dead suffered 'inhuman and degrading treatment', inquest told

Mr Johnson's parents are pushing for the inquest to cover bulling in the Tory party

Elliott Johnson was found dead on railway tracks in Bedfordshire (PA)

A young Conservative activist thought to have killed himself may have suffered “inhuman and degrading treatment” at the hands of party members, an inquest into his death has been told.

Elliott Johnson was found dead near railway tracks in Bedfordshire last year, after having raised allegations of bullying in a Conservative youth organisation.

Heather Williams QC, representing Mr Johnson’s parents, said authorities were obliged under human rights law to investigate allegations that might amount to inhuman or degrading treatment.

“It's a situation where if these allegations of bullying and intimidation were made good in evidence at an inquest, it could well be a situation where the coroner's obligation to investigate is activated,” she told the inquest.

“The family believe his death was directly linked to a series of events that occurred in the last few weeks of his life and particularly bullying he experience by Mark Clarke and those associated with him.”

Mr Johnson left a note, found after his death, in which he said he was bullied by Mark Clarke, a now former Tory activist who organised activist mobilisation for the Tory party during the 2015 election.

Mr Clarke, a former Conservative parliamentary candidate who has now been expelled from the Conservative party, denies the allegations against him.

Mark Clarke (front left) and Elliot Johnson (back right) on the stage at the Conservative Party conference in 2014 (PA)

The note released by Mr Johnson’s parents last month reads:

“These past few weeks have been the worst of my life. I find myself on the work scrapheap. My choice is end it now or wait till the death of my career when the money runs out.

“I have also been involved in a huge political issue. I have been bullied by Mark Clarke and betrayed by Andre Walker. Now all my political bridges are burnt.”

Mr Walker says that he and Mr Johnson were close and denies any mistreatment of Mr Johnson.

A tape sent to police last year details a 90-minute conversation in a pub where Mr Clarke threatens to ruin Mr Johnson’s career by exposing a Twitter gaffe at an election count.

In the same tape, Mr Walker, a friend of Mr Clarke, compares Mr Johnson to a Nazi collaborator for complaining about Mr Clarke.

Mr Johnson’s parents have asked for the inquest to cover the general culture of bullying in the Conservative party.

Bedfordshire's senior coroner Tom Osborne said he will announce on Friday the scope of the full inquest into the death.