Hertford and Stortford Conservative Association confirms ‘full support’ for MP Julie Marson

Bishop’s Stortford’s Conservative MP enjoys the “full support” of her constituency association.

Chairman Daniel Chichester-Miles drew a line under Julie Marson’s battle to be reselected as the party’s candidate for the next General Election.

After Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party attacked her record and the party’s decision to save her, the Indie asked Mrs Marson and Hertford and Stortford Conservative Association to respond.

While Mrs Marson continues to ignore any approach from the Indie, Mr Chichester-Miles replied: “The Conservative Party is a democratic one. We believe that all of our members deserve to have their say and have a right to be heard.

“This has now happened. Julie Marson has received the clear endorsement of local Conservative members as their candidate for the forthcoming General Election. As such, Julie enjoys the full support of the local association.

“We shall continue working together as a team, especially our hardworking and committed candidates and local councillors, focused on working for the benefit of the wider community across Hertford and Stortford.”

Earlier in April, the association’s executive voted 8-7 to reject her request to be readopted as their next General Election candidate. Mrs Marson said the verdict was a “devastating shock”.

She then exercised her right to trigger a wider poll of all 355 local party members and on Friday (April 21) it was confirmed that 62% of the 188 rank-and-file Tories who cast a ballot backed her.

Opposition parties pointed out that meant just 32.9% of those entitled to vote supported her.

There were 71 votes against readopting the married mother-of-one, who has been widely criticised for maintaining a family home in Kent. She also owns a flat in Sawbridgeworth, close to the constituency office in Harlow she shares with the Essex town’s MP Robert Halfon.

There have also been concerns that her work at Westminster as a Government enforcer has been at the expense of her constituency duties.

She was appointed an assistant whip by Boris Johnson last July, along with a position as a junior minister at the Department for Work and Pensions, after a ministerial exodus forced his resignation as Prime Minister.

The MP, who was first elected in December 2019, lost both roles when Liz Truss moved into 10 Downing Street but was reinstated as a whip in October when Rishi Sunak took charge.

The next General Election is scheduled to be held no later than January 28, 2025.