Sawbridgeworth town councillor Nathan Parsad-Wyatt elected chairman of Hertford and Stortford Conservative Association
A Sawbridgeworth town councillor has been appointed chairman of the Hertford and Stortford Conservative Association following its annual meeting in August.
Nathan Parsad-Wyatt, who chairs the planning committee on Sawbridgeworth Town Council, outlined his two key priorities for the association: growing its membership and winning elections.
Mr Parsad-Wyatt’s husband Angus, who is also a Sawbridgeworth town councillor and a member of East Herts Council, has been appointed campaigns and digital (east) officer. Angus is chief executive of ConservativeHome, the “independent” Conservative news and analysis website.
Treasurer for the Tory association is Alastair Ward-Booth, the Hertfordshire County Council member for Bishop’s Stortford West, while another Sawbridgeworth town councillor, Salvatore Pagdades, holds the position of external relations and events officer.
Bishop’s Stortford husband and wife David and Naomi Snowdon are the deputy chairs for ‘political’ and ‘membership’ respectively.
Two former losing General Election candidates complete the line-up of newly-elected: Ryan Henson, who lost in Bedford in 2019, is the officer for campaigns and digital (west) while former Bishop’s Stortford town councillor and planning committee chairman Shane Manning, who stood for the Cambridge seat last month, is the officer for candidates and outreach.
Cllr Nathan Parsad-Wyatt said: “After a challenging period for the Conservatives, we are committed to working together as a team to listen to our communities and rebuild as an effective political force as we head towards the county council elections next year.
“Our goal is to hold the Green-Liberal Democrat coalition at East Herts Council and our Labour MP to account, as well as ensuring accountability in the town councils of Bishop’s Stortford, Ware and Hertford.
“We are dedicated to engaging with our community, addressing the issues that matter most and driving positive change across Hertford and Stortford.”
In April 2023, the association’s executive voted 8-7 to reject then MP Julie Marson’s 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. Of the 188 rank-and-file Tories who cast a ballot, 62% backed her. Opposition parties pointed out that meant just 32.9% of those eligible to vote supported her.
On July 4 this year, Mrs Marson became the first ever Conservative to lose the Hertford and Stortford seat, which was created in 1983.
