Tory councillor suspended over “foreign names” slur

Orpington Conservative Councillor Peter Hobbins has been suspended resigned from the party after criticising candidates with foreign names – and Central Office for picking them.

As News Shopper reports, Councillor Hobbins wrote:

“Not one of them has a ‘normal’ English name.

“They want to be the PPCs for Orpington and asked me for my personal advice on how they would be the best candidates for the Orpington Constituency. My view? For hells sake.

“Why are the Candidates Department so keen on these foreign names?!!!!

“The candidates department are simply rushing these names through.

“They have absolutely no idea about how Associations are organised and have ZERO experience of political campaigning.

“Their emails are PATHETIC.”

“Maybe I should change my name to something foreign – how does Petrado Indiano Hobbinso sound to you?!”

Two emails were apparently sent in the early hours of Thursday morning, highlighting the dangers of emailing when you’re tired and, possibly, emotional.

Orpington Conservatives select their parliamentary candidate on 11th December.

UPDATE 8.25am, 21st Nov: A double shock.  ConservativeHome reports that Cllr Hobbins has now resigned from the Conservative party, and  new reporter Newshound is already in the doghouse after an incident with Pink Dog we don’t intend to detail on a family website.  Newshound will return shortly, behaviour permitting.

Read more by or more about or .
This entry was posted in News.
Advert

5 Comments

  • Herbert Brown 20th Nov '09 - 9:54pm

    If only I hadn’t heard similar comments while stuffing target letters … !

  • Martin Land 21st Nov '09 - 1:41am

    I just remind people that to my Celtic ancestors, Smith was a very strange foreign sounding name…

Post a Comment

Lib Dem Voice welcomes comments from everyone but we ask you to be polite, to be on topic and to be who you say you are. You can read our comments policy in full here. Please respect it and all readers of the site.

To have your photo next to your comment please signup your email address with Gravatar.

Your email is never published. Required fields are marked *

*
*
Please complete the name of this site, Liberal Democrat ...?

Advert

Recent Comments

  • Tristan Ward
    "A true national liberal party I do not see how a "true national liberal party" can be solely based on social liberalism - such a party can be only half a li...
  • Stephen Robinson
    We may wish to have a clear and distinctive policy on the subject. But we shouldn't proactively be talking about it. For the same reason as we were wrong to get...
  • Tom Arms
    point taken...
  • nigel hunter
    Trump now backsliding on his Patriot licencing deal with Ukraine after a phone call to Putin. He bends to Putin's will on regular occasions. His choosing winne...
  • Jason Connor
    I actually agree with Jana and also very much with Neil. Margaret Thatcher gets blamed for so many things. Other parties, particularly Labour when in power,...