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Deselection meeting 'over affair' Deselection meeting 'over affair'
(about 6 hours later)
A Conservative parliamentary candidate faces the possibility of deselection over an affair she had with a Tory MP more than four years ago. A Tory parliamentary candidate still faces the possibility of deselection over an affair she had with a Tory MP more than four years ago.
South West Norfolk Conservative Association members are reportedly angry Elizabeth Truss did not let them know about the affair with Mark Field.South West Norfolk Conservative Association members are reportedly angry Elizabeth Truss did not let them know about the affair with Mark Field.
The Association committee discussed the issue in Swaffham, Norfolk.
The committee decided that Ms Truss's fate should be discussed at a meeting of all association members.
A party spokesman on Tuesday night said members would decide whether or not to de-select Ms Truss.
'Publicly known'
Ms Truss was only chosen as a Tory candidate at the weekend.Ms Truss was only chosen as a Tory candidate at the weekend.
Party leader David Cameron said the affair had been "publicly known" and her selection must "go forward".Party leader David Cameron said the affair had been "publicly known" and her selection must "go forward".
After Ms Truss was chosen, constituency association members discovered that it had been widely reported in 2006 that she had been involved in an affair between 2004 and 2005 with Mr Field, MP for the Cities of London and Westminster.
'Outstanding candidate'
A meeting is due to take place in Swaffham, in Norfolk, at 1800 GMT to discuss the issue. There is unlikely to be a formal deselection at the meeting but local Conservatives could decide to re-open the selection procedure again.
However Ms Truss won support from party leader David Cameron, who was asked about the issue at a press conference on Tuesday.
David Cameron: "The information was publicly known"David Cameron: "The information was publicly known"
After Ms Truss was chosen, constituency association members discovered that it had been widely reported in 2006 that she had been involved in an affair between 2004 and 2005 with Mr Field, MP for the Cities of London and Westminster.
Ms Truss won support from party leader David Cameron, who was asked about the issue at a press conference on Tuesday.
Mr Cameron said: "I'm delighted that Elizabeth Truss has been selected.Mr Cameron said: "I'm delighted that Elizabeth Truss has been selected.
"She's an excellent candidate and I hope that they can go forward with her.""She's an excellent candidate and I hope that they can go forward with her."
Mr Cameron said Ms Truss's affair had "been publicly known", adding: "I hope they can get on with this selection that they've made and she can be the next MP for South Norfolk."Mr Cameron said Ms Truss's affair had "been publicly known", adding: "I hope they can get on with this selection that they've made and she can be the next MP for South Norfolk."
The candidate said the affair had finished long ago, was in the public domain and was not relevant.The candidate said the affair had finished long ago, was in the public domain and was not relevant.
The BBC's deputy political editor James Landale said while she said she had raised it with Tory central and the regional office, she had not done so at the selection meeting on Saturday, despite knowing a newspaper was planning to write a story about it.
But he added her position had been strengthened by Mr Cameron's support and by the fact she had a clear majority of support from Conservatives at the selection meeting on Saturday.
Ms Truss, the deputy director of the centre-right think-tank Reform, is a councillor in Greenwich, south-east London.
An Oxford graduate, she has also worked for Shell and Cable & Wireless. She stood unsuccessfully for Parliament in 2001 and 2005, contesting the Hemsworth and Calder Valley seats.
Women shortlists
Separately, Mr Cameron has called for "understanding" within the party for his plans for all-women shortlists for the selection of parliamentary candidates in some constituencies.
Earlier this month, he suggested the move as a way of ensuring an increase in the number of female Tory MPs in the next Parliament but the plans have caused unease at grass roots level.
Mr Cameron said there could be a "glut" of MPs retiring in the months leading up to the election - which must be held by June.
This meant the party had a responsibility to come up with the "very best candidates" and "good procedures for selecting candidates".
"We have made good progress in women being selected in the Conservative Party," he said.
"But there are many, many excellent women candidates who have not been selected so when it comes to drawing up a shortlist for seats after January, it is not surprising that we think that actually some of the best shortlists would be three or four candidates, all women.
"People should be understanding about that."