Tory candidate drops out over inappropriate posts

Sam Trask has stood down as the party's candidate in Bridgend.

A Conservative candidate has withdrawn from the general election over "wholly inappropriate" comments he posted on a website.

Sam Trask, who was standing in Bridgend, made sexually crude posts about women to the myfitnesspal website, according to The Mirror.

Mr Trask apologised for the comments which he said were made a number of years ago.

His decision leaves the Tories without a candidate in Bridgend a day before the close of nominations.

Labour's candidate for the seat, Chris Elmore, said: "These lurid revelations pose serious questions about the calibre of candidates the Tories have been forced to select."

Plaid Cymru said the comments were "grossly unbefitting of someone seeking public office".

The Welsh Conservatives said they did not condone the comments.

The Tories are defending the seat that they won from Labour at the general election in 2019.

Mr Trask replaced the party's previous MP, Jamie Wallis, who had not sought his party's candidacy for the constituency.

In a statement, Mr Trask said: "These comments were made a number of years ago, and I recognise they are wholly inappropriate.

"For that I apologise and have decided to withdraw as a candidate."

All the comments had been deleted from the myfitnesspal website by Thursday afternoon.

It is yet not clear who will stand for the party in the seat, which has changed boundaries for the election.

Nominations close at 17:00 BST on Friday.

A spokesman for the Welsh Conservatives said: "The Conservative party does not condone these comments. We are looking into the matter."

Other candidates for the seat are:

• Welsh Labour – Chris Elmore

• Welsh Liberal Democrats – Claire Waller

• Plaid Cymru – Iolo Caudy

• Reform UK – Caroline Jones

• Green Party – Debra Cooper

• Independent - Mark Richard John