Party workers 'left in the dark'

IAN MacKINNON

Brandishing his privately commissioned poll of constituents suggesting he stand as an independent, Peter Thurnham advanced its findings as a key element in his decision to resign the party whip.

But Tory members in his Bolton North-East constituency who feel "betrayed" by his departure, are equally quick to cite the poll carried out secretly as one of a series of "bizarre" moves by the MP.

The poll by Mori among 638 voters showed that 42 per cent said he would be right to resign the whip, 22 per cent that he would be wrong, and 36 per cent had no opinion. Yet party workers who tramped the streets during three elections since1983 knew nothing of the poll.

Their view was that the poll, and his disquiet over the handling of the Nolan report and the Scott inquiry, simply masked his pique at not being interviewed for the safe seat of Westmorland and Lonsdale.

Hilary Fairclough, a party member since 1992, has few doubts about Mr Thurnham's motivation. "I think it's bitterness. It stems from not being chosen for Westmorland. But he has used the other things to justify his decision," she said. "He says he was unhappy with Nolan and Scott. But as an association member I was never aware that he was unhappy."

There were a number of issues that Derek Shepherd, deputy leader of Bolton council Tory group, believed Mr Thurnham could easily have opposed the Government over and retained party workers' respect.