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| Grant Shapps position in jeopardy amid bullying scandal | |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| Grant Shapps’ position as a Conservative minister is believed to be in jeopardy following revelations that the former party chairman was warned about the conduct of an election aide at the centre of a growing scandal in the Tory party. | |
| The Guardian revealed on Friday that Sayeeda Warsi, a Tory peer and Shapps’ predecessor as party co-chair, demanded almost a year ago that Mark Clarke, a Conservative activist, be reprimanded for bullying. | The Guardian revealed on Friday that Sayeeda Warsi, a Tory peer and Shapps’ predecessor as party co-chair, demanded almost a year ago that Mark Clarke, a Conservative activist, be reprimanded for bullying. |
| Warsi’s letter appeared to contradict the party’s claim that it had received no written complaints about Clarke until August, after Elliott Johnson, a 21-year-old Conservative blogger and activist, had killed himself. | Warsi’s letter appeared to contradict the party’s claim that it had received no written complaints about Clarke until August, after Elliott Johnson, a 21-year-old Conservative blogger and activist, had killed himself. |
| Johnson claimed to have been bullied by Clarke and others. He sent a colleague a recording of a conversation in a pub in which Clarke and another activist, Andre Walker, appeared to threaten him. | Johnson claimed to have been bullied by Clarke and others. He sent a colleague a recording of a conversation in a pub in which Clarke and another activist, Andre Walker, appeared to threaten him. |
| There have been numerous reports since alleging that Clarke was at the centre of a plot to blackmail at least one senior MP. Clarke has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. | There have been numerous reports since alleging that Clarke was at the centre of a plot to blackmail at least one senior MP. Clarke has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. |
| This month a Conservative party spokesperson said: “We have been checking and rechecking, but have not been able to find any records of written complaints that were made but not dealt with – but we are determined to get to the bottom of what’s happened.” | This month a Conservative party spokesperson said: “We have been checking and rechecking, but have not been able to find any records of written complaints that were made but not dealt with – but we are determined to get to the bottom of what’s happened.” |
| When asked on Saturday whether the prime minister still had confidence in Shapps and Andrew Feldman, the current chairman and formerly co-chair with Shapps, , a party spokespersonresponded: “Yes, he does have full confidence.” But just hours later the party confirmed Cameron would make a statement on Shapps’ future on Saturday afternoon. | |
| Related: Tory chairmen should quit over bullying scandal - activist's father | Related: Tory chairmen should quit over bullying scandal - activist's father |
| Clarke, 38, a consultant at Unilever, was appointed by Shapps in July last year as director of the RoadTrip 2015 campaign, which organised busloads of young activists touring the country to campaign for the Conservatives in key constituencies. | Clarke, 38, a consultant at Unilever, was appointed by Shapps in July last year as director of the RoadTrip 2015 campaign, which organised busloads of young activists touring the country to campaign for the Conservatives in key constituencies. |
| Shapps succeeded Lady Warsi as co-chair of the Conservative party in September 2012 and held the post until he was demoted after the general election to a junior portfolio at the Department for International Development. | Shapps succeeded Lady Warsi as co-chair of the Conservative party in September 2012 and held the post until he was demoted after the general election to a junior portfolio at the Department for International Development. |
| Lord Feldman, a friend of Cameron since they studied together at Brasenose College, Oxford, was co-chair of the party from May 2010 until this May, when he became sole chair, and has also been linked to the scandal. | Lord Feldman, a friend of Cameron since they studied together at Brasenose College, Oxford, was co-chair of the party from May 2010 until this May, when he became sole chair, and has also been linked to the scandal. |
| Elliott Johnson’s father, Ray, has called on Feldman and Shapps to resign. “Feldman, Shapps and whoever else is involved in this – clearly these senior members of the party have been telling lies,” he alleged. “You wonder about the people running the country, whether they’re fit to govern. If they had behaved responsibly, like any other organisation, none of these events would have happened, my son would still be alive and many activists wouldn’t have been intimidated and harassed.” | Elliott Johnson’s father, Ray, has called on Feldman and Shapps to resign. “Feldman, Shapps and whoever else is involved in this – clearly these senior members of the party have been telling lies,” he alleged. “You wonder about the people running the country, whether they’re fit to govern. If they had behaved responsibly, like any other organisation, none of these events would have happened, my son would still be alive and many activists wouldn’t have been intimidated and harassed.” |