Tory Nick Ramsay taking local party to court over deselection bid

A Conservative Senedd member is taking his local party to court over an attempt by members to have him deselected as a candidate.

Nick Ramsay wants to stop a meeting of the Monmouth Conservative Association from going ahead next week.

His lawyers claim the move is "unconstitutional".

The chair of the association, Nick Hackett-Pain, said it has been told by the Conservative Party that it has acted entirely within the rules.

This Monday the association will meet to discuss a petition, signed by local members, calling for the reversal of a previous decision to re-adopt Mr Ramsay as candidate for the 2021 Senedd election.

In response, Mr Ramsay's lawyers have told the association they will seek an injunction to stop the meeting going ahead, claiming a breach of "natural justice".

The lawyers told BBC Wales that an application has been filed and a hearing is expected later this week.

Mr Hackett-Pain said: "The Monmouth Conservative Association has never sought any form of confrontation with Nick Ramsay and any legal action brought is entirely of his doing.

"We have been advised by lawyers and Conservative head office that we have acted entirely within our rules and rights at all times."

In response, Mr Ramsay's solicitor Timothy Gir said Mr Hackett-Pain and the association "will not disclose why this petition has been brought, who it was brought by or when.

"They have simply refused to speak directly to Mr. Ramsay about it. These are hardly the actions of a democratic body who have an interest in fairness."

He said that not all members were aware of the petition or the legal action and were learning about it through the press. "It is outrageous," he said.

"They should be in no doubt we are taking them to court and we are confident the right thinking members of the association are appalled they are being taken advantage of in this way."

The Conservative Party and the Conservative group in the Welsh Parliament, of which Mr Ramsay is a member, were asked for comment.

It is the second legal action Mr Ramsay has staged this year, after the politician took the Welsh Parliament's Conservative leader Paul Davies to court over his suspension from the Senedd Tory group.

The Monmouth Senedd member was suspended from his party and group after he was arrested on New Year's Day. He was released without charge two days later.

Mr Davies was forced to allow the MS back into the Tory group, after a ruling in the High Court. His suspension from the party was lifted later in 2020.

It is understood that central Conservative Party officials will be involved in running the meeting on Monday and taking votes.

However it would not trigger its deselection alone, and if members agree with the petition's premise further discussions would be needed for the deselection to happen.