By Martin Banks - 24th January 2012
I was happy to resign in favour of the next-in-line in the normal way, but I am not prepared to stand aside for some A-List Cameron protégée from St. John’s Wood
Roger Helmer
UK Tory deputy Roger Helmer says he will withdraw his decision to quit parliament in a row over the person who will replace him.
Helmer, who planned to quit parliament last month, is locked in a bitter dispute with his party's hierarchy over the choice of candidate to replace him.
According to election rules, he should be replaced by Rupert Matthews, the next-in-line on the 2009 Conservative list for the East Midlands constituency in the UK.
But party chiefs are thought to have reservations about the "suitability" of Matthews for the MEP post, meaning that Helmer is still to formally stand down as a deputy.
Helmer insists that Matthews is the right man for the job and has now fully explained his reasons for threatening to withdraw his intention to quit.
He said, "I have not yet signed parliament’s formal deed of resignation. I made it clear at the time that a key reason for my decision was my disillusionment with a wide range of Conservative policies - a view which has been strongly reinforced by David Cameron’s vocal backing for further fiscal integration in the EU.
"I announced my resignation in the confident expectation that I would be replaced by Matthews. Since the introduction of the regional list system of voting, there have been nine mid-term vacancies for UK MEPs, and on every occasion the seat has gone to the next available name on the list.
"It has now emerged, however, that the party has reservations over the succession.
"After the 2010 general election, a large number of very good people, including Rupert, were taken off the Westminster candidates list.
"This is entirely wrong-headed. The candidates’ committee exists to pre-qualify names for future elections. It cannot retrospectively disqualify names from previous elections. Rupert was on the list at the relevant time, 2008."
Helmer, an ECR member, added, "I have made it clear that I will not sign the formal resignation papers until the position is clarified and Rupert is confirmed.
"I was happy to resign in favour of the next-in-line in the normal way, but I am not prepared to stand aside for some A-List Cameron protégée from St. John’s Wood.
"However the party says it will not call the panel and make the decision until I do resign. So we have a Mexican stand-off."
He added, "I think that both I and Rupert and our respective families are entitled to some certainty and resolution on the issue. Accordingly I have indicated to the party chairman that if the situation is not resolved within a few weeks, I shall withdraw my offer to resign.
"I am quite prepared, if necessary, to stay in place for the remaining two and a half years of my mandate until 2014. I have always argued that when a Conservative MEP is out of sympathy with party policy, and unable to defend it, he should resign to make way for another Conservative.
"I believe that that is the decent and honourable thing to do, and I have sought to do it, but my intention has been frustrated by the party’s reprehensible prevarication.
He warned, "If I am obliged to stay in place until 2014, I shall feel no further sense of obligation or responsibility to the party."
