New row as Tories pick their election hopeful

Nick Herbert, 42 today, was selected last night to fight for Mr Flight's seat in Arundel and South Downs.

By this morning Labour had tried to embarrass the Tories by claiming that three years ago Mr Herbert made similar comments to those for which Mr Flight was fired by his party.

In 2002 Mr Herbert, director of the right-wing think tank Reform, wrote an article in The Spectator referring to rumours of a "top secret" Conservative strategy to pretend to want to increase public spending, while really planning to reduce it if elected.

Mr Flight was sacked by Conservative leader Michael Howard at Easter for implying the Tories intended to tighten the purse strings more than they had revealed.

The Conservatives said today that Mr Herbert's comments had been taken "grossly out of context" and did not mean he thought the party had a hidden agenda.

A spokesman said: "Nick Herbert was referring to mere rumours that the Conservatives might not talk about tax cuts before the election, and he was making the point that to say one thing before an election and do another afterwards would be absolutely wrong.

"As we all know now, that is not what we have done. We have identified savings and are in a position to offer lower taxes in our first budget."

Last night Mr Flight drew a line under his row with party leader Michael Howard and vowed to help him win the election.

He delivered an "emotional" farewell speech to members of the Arundel and South Downs Conservative Association before they selected Mr Herbert to replace him.

After his selection, Mr Herbert, who lives in rural Suffolk, was introduced to the waiting media by association chairman Angela Litchfield.

Ms Litchfield said: "I would like to express my sincere thanks to Howard Flight for his diligence and hard work for this constituency and his enormous contribution to the success of this association.

"We will now move on. We have four weeks of jolly hard work."

Mr Herbert, a Cambridge graduate, spoke of his "utter delight" at being selected and his determination to ensure the constituency seat continues its good majority at the election.

He said: "I express my support for Michael Howard and his leadership."

Mr Flight, who was addressing the full association for the first time since the controversy broke, earlier told journalists he had ruled out running as an independent candidate.

He read out some of the speech he released to The Argus earlier in the day.

Standing with his wife Christabel on the steps outside the Avisford Park Hilton hotel near Chichester, where the meeting was held, Mr Flight said:

"It would be ridiculous for me, a Conservative for 40 years, to be the one that stops them winning.

"How would I feel if I caused my friends to suffer as a result?"

Mr Flight said he could "understand" why Mr Howard had taken the decision to sack him.

Asked whether he thought he had damaged the Conservatives' electoral prospects, Mr Flight said he hoped he had not.

He said: "I don't think it will because it points the spotlight on the issue of our times. We've paid 70 per cent more tax since 1997. People don't want to pay any more taxation."

Mr Flight said he would be spending the next month campaigning in the Brighton and Hove area and then he and his wife would be taking a "damned good holiday".

Not all association members at the meeting, which was also attended by Conservative Party chairman Liam Fox, were happy about the vote.

At least four left in protest at the party's treatment of Mr Flight.

Mr Flight said afterwards the whole affair had been "a load of rubbish".

He said: "I never said there was a secret agenda. All I said was the party, as any government, has to make efficiency savings.

"I apologise for the fact that I am the guy that led to the spin that has caused the trouble.

"I understand entirely why the party did what it did. Perhaps I have been treated a little unfairly but I am a realist. I have talked it through with friends and a large number of MPs. The constitutional issues will want to get sorted out after the election."

Mr Flight left before Mr Herbert was chosen but he said all three candidates were very good.

He knew them personally and he wished his successor well.

Terry Walsh, from West Chiltington, left shortly after Mr Flight. He said: "As far as I'm concerned, a Member of Parliament can only be deselected by the association.

"Liam Fox is not even a member of the association."

Association vice-president Harold Hall, from Warningcamp, said: "It is unquestionably immoral. It may even be unlawful.

"I came to hear Howard Flight. This has been my first opportunity. I thought he was brilliant. It is a disgusting way to treat an association of fair men and women."

Mr Hall said he found it "unbelievable" Mr Herbert had been selected for the shortlist because his words in The Spectator were "far more damaging"

than what Mr Flight had said.

Neil Winton, an association member from Findon, said he voted for Mr Herbert. He said: "Howard Flight made a very emotional speech.

"I didn't expect to come to a Tory Party meeting and have tears in my eyes. He was choking with emotion. It was very sad."

The other candidates were Anne Marie Morris and Laura Sandys.

Thursday, April 7