Reaction to MP's reselection failure

Following the failure of local MP Julie Marson to be reselected by her local party executive, opposition parties have issued statements.

Josh Dean, the Parliamentary Spokesperson for Hertford and Stortford [Labour Party], said, "Since her election in 2019, Julie Marson's record has been that of an MP fundamentally disconnected from the community she claims to represent. Her constituency office is based in Harlow, her main residence is in Kent, she regularly fails to communicate with local press, and most recently she has used her expenses to support a Tory linked PR firm in Hampshire. It should come as no surprise that the executive committee of her Conservative Association has no faith in her - she’s given them no reason to. The same is true for residents of Hertford and Stortford."

"All of this paints a picture of an MP whose lack of regard for our community over the past four years has come back to haunt her, and a Conservative Association wracked with divisions ahead of local elections in May. They've finally realised what residents in Hertford and Stortford have known for a while: the Tories are failing our community and it's time for change. But replacing Julie Marson with another absent Tory who blindly follows the orders of CCHQ won't undo the damage they've done to our community."

"At the next General Election, it's time for real change in Hertford and Stortford with a local Labour MP who will put the interests of residents in our community first. We will continue to make the case for a better Hertford and Stortford with a Labour Government and we look forward to challenging the Tory candidate whenever the General Election comes."

Helen Campbell, the Liberal Democrats' prospective parliamentary candidate for Hertford and Stortford, said: "The doubt over the current Conservative MP's reselection demonstrates the anger with invisible, distant and poorly-performing MPs.

"Now even the Conservatives have recognised how they have failed Hertford and Stortford, just as they have failed the country.

"Residents here tell me on their doorsteps they're struggling with the cost of living, are worried about overdevelopment and insufficient and crumbling infrastructure, and are finding NHS services and GP appointments increasingly hard to access.

"The Conservative Government has neglected public services and left the country to decline. This failure to deliver cannot continue.

"Hertford and Stortford constituents have been consistently let down and need and deserve a Liberal Democrat MP who is visible and present, who works hard on their behalf and who understands the issues local residents are concerned about.

"The local elections on May 4 are an opportunity to vote for change by sending the Conservatives a strong message and electing more hard-working Liberal Democrat candidates to represent them on the local council."

Hertford & Stortford Conservative Association have issued a statement, saying: "Following a secret ballot of the association executive council which was then counted by a CCHQ official, observed by an independent chairman and Julie herself, we were told that Julie had not been adopted as the parliamentary candidate. We were not told the figures. The decision on whether or not to adopt Julie Marson as their candidate is now up to the wider membership of the Hertford and Stortford Conservative association, which is as it should be."