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Leadership: Ordinary Tories' View Should Count
Former Leader of the Commons Tony Newton, who lost his Braintree seat in the
election, has said that the Conservatives should reconsider their leadership election rules - with the aim of taking into account the views of ordinary party members.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he admitted, however, that it would be difficult to do so while the campaign was under way.
Mr Newton urged the Tory MPs who would be voting for the leader to take notice of their local activists' opinions: "I hope that one way or another, constituency associations will have a say."
On the Tory disaster of May 1, Mr Newton said it could be put down mostly
to the feeling in the country that it was "time for a change". Tactical voting, and the presence of the Referendum Party, also played a part,
he said.
"We need to reflect, and a week is not, in this respect, a long time in
politics. It is going to take more time than that," he said.
Mr Newton did not see Labour's landslide as a massive vote for that party. He said Labour had won "very largely by adopting a huge swathe of
Conservative policies and attitudes".
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