Conservatives launch review of party's London operation

Greg Hands has defended the review saying it is not about the mayoral candidate selection process

The Conservative party has launched an internal review of the party's operation in London.

Chairman Greg Hands said the review would "ensure the party in London is in the best position possible to take the fight in next year's elections".

However, some say it is a result of concerns raised over the Tories' London mayoral candidate selection process.

Susan Hall was chosen as the candidate in July after the exit of Daniel Korski following allegations of groping.

She will face the incumbent, Labour's Sadiq Khan, in the election on 2 May.

Posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, Mr Hands insisted the review was being done "with the full support" of Ms Hall.

The 68-year old London Assembly member defeated Mozammel Hossain to become the Conservative candidate, with 57% of the vote from London party members.

'Undermines Susan Hall'

Speaking to the BBC, Richard Barnes, the former Conservative Deputy Mayor of London, said: "The party may say that the review is not about the mayoral selection process, but it clearly is.

"The selection process was crazy, the Conservatives ended up selecting unknown candidates and leaving off Paul Scully, the government minister for London, which is an insult."

Mr Barnes added the timing of the review "undermines candidate Susan Hall" and "implies she is second best".

"Why don't the party do the review after the mayoral election, once they have seen how well Ms Hall has performed."

Ms Hall tweeted her support for the review, saying it was "an excellent idea" that will "help us ensure we are at our best."

Susan Hall has been a councillor in Harrow since 2006 and a member of the London-wide Assembly since 2017

In a letter to party members, Greg Hands wrote: "The review will have in scope all of organisation, campaigning infrastructure and anything which could increase our electoral success in London in advance of next year's mayoral election".

The review will be carried out by Lord Udny-Lister, who was a close aide to former prime minister Boris Johnson and served in City Hall as his chief of staff when he was mayor of London.

A spokesman for the party said the purpose of the review "is to build on the success of the Uxbridge & South Ruislip parliamentary by-election."

The narrow victory in Uxbridge & South Ruislip came after the local Tory campaign focused heavily on the expansion of the Sadiq Khan-backed Ulez scheme.Mr Barnes said that the victory was a result of "people voting against Labour instead of for the Conservative Party".

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