Furious Sky News row erupts as host loses it over Tory ‘stitch-up’ | Politics | News | EUROtoday

A livid row erupted between a prime Tory and a Sky News presenter who accused him of an “anti democratic sew up”.

Tensions inside the Conservative Party have been rising over accusations of MPs ditching the so-called Red Wall for safer seats within the south of the nation.

The most excessive profile of these scrambling for different seats included the Conservative Party chairman Richard Holden, the previous MP for North Durham, who was named candidate for Basildon and Billericay in Essex after the native occasion was handed a shortlist with only one title on it by Conservative headquarters.

Mr Holden entered the House of Commons in 2019 as a part of the Boris landslide – a seat which had returned a Labour MP at each election because it was created in 1950. However, this constituency has additionally been abolished as a result of a overview of boundaries.

Sky News presenter Jon Craig took intention at Mr Holden as he interviewed him exterior the Houses of Parliament.

He stated: “So you can’t justify the way you have been parachuted into Basildon and Billericay. You’re not denying it’s a stitch up and it’s anti democratic?”

But Mr Holden responds by answering – it seems – a completely totally different query mentioning Labour’s Emily Thornberry.

Mr Craig says: “I have to stop you there – this is ridiculous. This is ridiculous! You said in an interview earlier this year that you were bloody loyal to the North East. What happened to that?”

Mr Holden appears more and more uncomfortable as he says “I have already answered these questions” and host Mr Craig says “no you haven’t!”.

The pair then get right into a dispute about if he has or hasn’t – with Holden insisting he had mentioned the subject beforehand with Channel Four.

But Mr Craig says that’s “one broadcaster” and that he would nonetheless just like the query answered.

At that time an advisor steps in to problem what’s being requested of Mr Holden. And though Mr Craig persists, he’s warned if he doesn’t again down Holden will “just leave” as “that’s not what we’ve come here today to discuss.”

After the interchange – and again within the studio – Mr Craig says it wasn’t Mr Holden’s “finest hour.”

Those fleeing to safer seats within the south or midlands embrace Kieran Mullan, elected as MP for Crewe and Nantwich in Cheshire in 2019. Mr Mullen is now standing in Bexhill and Battle, in East Sussex, the place Tories are defending a majority of 26,059.

Chris Clarkson grew to become Conservative MP for Heywood & Middleton in Greater Manchester on the final election however is now standing in Shakespeare’s birthplace of Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, the place the occasion will defend a majority of 19,972.

Neil Hudson has been MP for Penrith and the Border in Cumbria since 2019 and can now stand in Epping Forest, Essex, the place the Conservative majority is 22,173. His outdated constituency has been abolished as a result of a overview of boundaries, forcing him to discover a new seat.