Row erupts as another Blackpool Tory candidate gets into trouble over social media posts

Carl Mather, who has been selected by the association to fight for a council seat in Victoria ward at the May local elections, has had his Conservative Party membership suspended.

The move, which has been confirmed by the party, comes after he was alleged to have posted inappropriate comments on social media.

The furore follows a controversial posting on YouTube by businessman Chris Higgitt, who has been selected as a candidate in Waterloo ward ahead of sitting councillor Derek Robertson.

Mr Higgitt made inaccurate claims about the council housing illegal immigrants in the Metropole Hotel, when they are asylum seekers who have been put in accommodation by the Home Office.

Another Conservative councillor Gerard Walsh has won an appeal after he was deselected by the Blackpool South Conservative Association to stand in Squires Gate ward.

Now Coun Tony Williams, leader of the Conservative group on the council, has called for Coun Bradley Mitchell to step down from his position as chairman of Blackpool South Conservative Association which is responsible for candidate selection in that part of the town.

He said: “I find it incredible that the Blackpool South Conservative Association have once again failed to check the viability and social media activity of a candidate they have allowed to be considered to run in a Blackpool ward.

“Checking an applicant’s background including social media activity is a basic and essential first step in the approval procedure.

“Blackpool’s elected councillors are both shocked and extremely annoyed at this serious lack of judgement and no longer have trust or respect for the South Association and its management.

“The chair of the association should do the honourable thing and resign with immediate effect.”

Coun Mitchell did not respond to a request for a comment, but has previously said “selecting candidates to represent the party is the job of the local association and party members rather than councillors in the town hall.”

He added there had been “years of inactive councillors in the area who have failed to address the concerns of local residents.”