TMP readers will have been interested to hear that Helen Grant (right), a black, female lawyer was selected as the Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate in the safe Tory seat of Maidstone and the Weald last weekend. 

Helen Grant is highly likely to succeed the sitting Conservative MP, Ann Widdecombe, in the seat.  She is the owner of Grant Solicitors a specialist law firm dealing with the problems of family breakdown in London, Surrey and Kent. 

Of Grant’s selection, Conservative Party Chair, Caroline Spelman MP, said “Helen’s selection as the candidate for Maidstone and The Weald is great news and further proof of the changes that have happened in the Conservative Party under David Cameron.

“As you’d expect the calibre of applicants for this Parliamentary seat was very high indeed and Helen’s success is a credit to her and the local association.
“Helen has a high standard to live up to but I have no doubt she will excel.”

But controversy erupted over the weekend following revelations in the Mail on Sunday that Grant was only recently a member of the Labour Party.  Commenting on her past association with the Labour Party, Grant said,

“I have never been a member of the Croydon Labour party. I was a member of the Reigate & Banstead branch from mid 2004. I never attended any of their meetings, made no donations and did no canvassing or campaigning work for them at all. I have never denied my association with the Labour party and talked of it in a newspaper interview published in the summer of 2006.

“I was approached by Croydon Labour party and I did consider transferring membership to them but I never received any response. They also approached me about using my office telephones and I believe 2 people came in once but never returned.

“I was seduced by Labour for about 5 minutes but quickly realised what a complete shower they really were. People from poor or minority ethnic backgrounds often unthinkingly consider Labour their party but during my brief flirtation with the Labour party I found them arrogant, complacent and un-inclusive.”

Despite Grant’s response, the revelations have provoked criticism on the Conservative Home website with one blogger saying:
“As a resident in the Maidstone & the Weald constituency I would like to be told by association officers in no uncertain terms whether this was disclosed by Ms Grant to the association at the time of her application, on her application form and/or to the selection committee last weekend.”