TORIES in the Mordens ward are being urged to vote AGAINST the party s candidate in this year s South Cambridgeshire District Council elect-ions. The South Cam­bridgeshire Conservative Association has selected Bob Poulter to stand in the elections

TORIES in the Mordens ward are being urged to vote AGAINST the party's candidate in this year's South Cambridgeshire District Council elect-ions.

The South Cam­bridgeshire Conservative Association has selected Bob Poulter to stand in the elections in May.

But Jeremy Fordham, chairman of the Morden's and Abington Pigott's branch of the Conservatives, told The Crow that his members backed independent candidate Cicely Murfitt.

He said: "Our members do not support the candidature of Bob Poulter and urge all Conservatives to vote for Cicely Murfitt.

"I believe I will be speaking for a majority of local people when I say that we wish Cicely Murfitt to continue to represent us on the district council, independent of party interests."

Mr Fordham said that he believes Mr Poulter, who does not live in the ward, is not the best person to represent the interests of the Mordens at district council level.

He said: "When questioned about the wisdom of imposing upon this community a Conservative candidate from outside the area, Colin Barker, the association head of campaigning said, and I quote: 'The Mordens will just have to get used to it. This is politics.'

"The association's stance on this matter has nothing to do with the repre-sentation of the local people and everything to do with the ambitions of a few people who wish to retain their personal power-base on the council.

"It seems that David Cameron's attempt to reform the Conservative Party in order to make it electable has fallen on deaf ears so far as the South Cambridgeshire Conser-vative Association is con-cerned," he said.

Cllr Murfitt has repre-sented the Mordens on South Cambridgeshire Dis-trict Council for six years.

At the last elections in 2004, she polled 78 per cent of votes.

She said: "I plan to stand for election again this year."

Stephen Frost, Con-servative party agent for South Cambridgeshire, said: "We don't want to disenfranchise any Conservative voters and always endeavour to put candidates forward where they are eligible to stand.

"We always try to select people who are the best fit for the particular area.

"However, one of the main criteria for selection is that candidates must have an interest in the wider issues which are dealt with at district level, such as planning and waste collection.

"As long as the candidate satisfies electoral laws it is not necessary for them to live in the specific ward which they plan to represent," he said.