Hart to fight deselection by local Tory executive
The executive of the local Tory Association has deselected sitting MP Sally-Ann Hart, who says she will appeal to the membership. Nick Terdre reports.
The decision by the executive of the Hastings & Rye Conservative Association to deselect incumbent MP to contest the seat in the next general election, expected to take place next year, came as a surprise to Sally-Ann Hart. (A January 2025 scenario is theoretically possible but unlikely.)
However, she is not taking it lying down and “will be taking her case to the wider members of the Association,” her office told HOT. She “will continue to serve and work hard for the people of Hastings and Rye.”
The executive’s decision has not been posted on the association’s website or Facebook page, nor have the reasons been made public. The association chair, Cllr John Rankin, has been approached for comment.
Sally-Ann Hart showing support for former home secretary Priti Patel’s hard-line stance on immigration.
In her short parliamentary career the MP has consistently toed the party line, not least giving full support to the hard-line immigration policies of home secretaries Priti Patel and Suella Braverman.
This apparently was not enough in the view of some commentators on social media. The unnamed CEO of tour operator UK Tradewinds, welcoming the “great news” of her deselection on Twitter, suggested, “Perhaps you can dwell on all your lockdown and jab support.”
This prompted Arthur Burgess, ex Tory local councillor for Old Hastings, one-time Ukip candidate and now an ex Tory, to add, “She was also a strong supporter of Sunak…she is a lovely lady but has been a truly awful MP.”
Brexit supporter
Hart was selected to fight the general election in 2019 as a Brexit supporter, in contrast to the remain position of the incumbent MP Amber Rudd.
News of the deselection was revealed by the right-wing Guido Fawkes blog at the weekend. Constituency sources remained tight-lipped as to the reasons, it said, adding that Hart had confirmed the news.
The blog appended the latest forecast from the UK Polling Report which predicts a massive swing to Labour at the general election, with its candidate Helena Dollimore polling 58.7% against Hart’s 31.9%.
The Spectator also reported the news from Hastings & Rye, suggesting there could be febrile debates in many local associations as Tories wonder how to face up to the prospect of defeat in 2024.
Conservative central office have yet to go public with their take on the matter. On previous occasions they have threatened local associations insisting on different candidates from their own choice with suspension — the so-called Slough treatment.
However, the Conservative Democratic Organisation, “created to support the grassroots of the party,” gave its support to a decision by members. “We are unsure of the exact circumstances [in Hastings & Rye],” it said, “but we fully support the right of members to choose the best candidate for their constituency, free from pressure and vested interests.”
Hart recently wrote of being “rather honoured” to be appointed by the prime minister to the UK delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
It remains to be seen whether the Conservatives’ choice of a parliamentary candidate is decided locally. In Labour’s case the national party vetoed the local party’s preferred candidate along with other local aspirants and imposed its own shortlist of three.
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@Paul Burns
Not worth my time to argue with regurgitated propaganda piffle.
Comment by Passing-By — Wednesday, Feb 15, 2023 @ 11:16
Unlike her immediate predecessors as our MP, Sally-Ann Hart’s administrative setup was poor. She and her team seemed not to know who her constituents were, or care. Lucid emails were not engaged with (though one got two different replies).
Her political profile was also strangely low — even on soft issues like decisions of the then-Labour Council. She seemed to regard Hastings as enemy territory. Now even her own party regard her as unelectable.
Comment by Bernard McGinley — Monday, Feb 13, 2023 @ 10:26
To Passing By.
We are not at war with Russia. The UK and many other countries, including some neutral ones, are lending support to Ukraine’s resistance to a Russian invasion. Even Vietnam, a poor country with no reason to favour American policy, had commited to give $500,000 worth of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.
You wrote, “Where is the sovereignty we were promised?”
Where is the sovereignty Russia promised Ukraine in a formal treaty in return for Ukraine giving up nuclear weapons. Putin has continually interfered in Ukraine, annexed Crimea and supported secessionists in the east of Ukraine.
The choice is not between east and west let alone between different economic ideologies. Russia is a gangster-capitalist state bent on an imperialist agenda.
It will not stop at Ukraine if allowed to enslave its population. Rather, it will use Ukrainian resources and soldiers to harass and take over other territories.
Comment by Paul Burns — Sunday, Feb 12, 2023 @ 22:37
Sally-Anne Hart is very good at photo opportunities, but in her political role, she is as useless as a chocolate teapot. We have written to her about several pressing matters, but always with the same result: one of her minions tells us that these issues do not concern her. Our latest rebuff was about the missing part of the Queensway/ A21 link road. Millions of pounds of public money have been spent on this without the desired result. More than 500 homes are being built at the northern end of Harrow Lane. We were promised the link road would be finished before development began. Without the link, we can foresee traffic chaos and gridlock at peak times. There are already long traffic queues at Harrow Lane and in The Ridge area at busy times. The lack of the link will cause serious economic and social problems in this area because the same old, inadequate roads cannot cope.
Comment by Lynda and Colin Foy — Sunday, Feb 12, 2023 @ 06:12
There are many from all parties, it would seem, who would rather Mrs.Hart stood at the next election so they may enjoy voting her out. You reap what you sow.
Comment by Steve Rodrick — Friday, Feb 10, 2023 @ 10:58
Agree with Keith Piggott. Rudd and Foster were pretty good at focusing on specific concerns and took the trouble to actually write letters. Not saying they always agreed with me, but at least I felt they had given an issue I had raised some personal consideration. I can’t say the same for Hart.
Comment by DAR — Friday, Feb 10, 2023 @ 10:54
We’ve received a comment which is perfectly acceptable. However it comes from a bogus email account, and it is not our policy to publish comments from such sources. If Passing-by wishes to resubmit their comment using a genuine email address, we will happily publish it. Nick Terdre/HOT
Comment by Nick Terdre — Thursday, Feb 9, 2023 @ 17:29
She’ll get my support!
Comment by James Morris — Thursday, Feb 9, 2023 @ 13:52
Considering that Sally-Ann Hart shut down the Conservative Party Office in Theaklen Drive, St Leonards, took down all signage to even suggest that Swallow House was indeed the location of her supposed Tory Constituency HQ, I am not at all surprised that it has resulted in her deselection.
No one ever saw her, heard from her or could contact her; except for when she had to make an appearance when raw sewerage was being pumped into the sea! As I asked the Speaker of the House, what on earth is she being paid for, when she has done Nothing!
She “will continue to serve and work hard for the people of Hastings and Rye.” ~ This would be really funny if it wasn’t so tragic and serious.
Comment by Bob S. — Thursday, Feb 9, 2023 @ 12:42
The lesser-spotted MP deserves to go. She didn’t deserve to stand in the first place, and as a, in my opinion, cynical* ‘brexiteer’, is one of many responsible for a number of aspects of our current tribulations.
*because who believes a City corporate lawyer really supported it?
Comment by Tim Barton — Thursday, Feb 9, 2023 @ 11:28
They are all the same!
Have any of us voted to be at war with Russia?
Have any of us voted to remain USA Military Industrial Complex’s vassal’s state?
Have any of us voted to put sanctions on 55 countries for the population’s to starve to death?
Have any of us voted for santions to remain on Syrian earthquake survivors so that they can never rebuild?
Have any of us voted to bomb other countries creating refugee crisis everywhere?
We could spend the money on improving our own little islands.
Where is the sovereignty we were promised?
Why aren’t we allowed self-determination and become the world’s peace-brokers in equal relationships with other countries and be human to human?
They are all the same! All MPs are warmongering billionnaires lackies!
I’ve had enough of the lot of them!
Comment by Passing-By — Thursday, Feb 9, 2023 @ 10:09
Good decision! In no correspondence did Sally-Anne Hart personally respond. Junior assistants in one liners ‘record’ receipt, then bombard every sensibility with government positions that ignored central thrusts of my correspondence… especially so regarding Putin, Ukraine, and NATO. We were spoiled by Amber, and Michael before her. An MP must represent all, not duck issues. KP
Comment by Keith Piggott — Thursday, Feb 9, 2023 @ 00:16