The Conservative parliamentary candidate for Hove, Graham Cox, is to step down from Brighton and Hove City Council.
Councillor Cox, 52, who represents Westbourne ward, won his seat in a by-election in December 2011.
He said that it would be inappropriate to contest both elections – for a seat in Parliament and on the council – next May.
So he will stand down when both elections are held on Thursday 7 May 2015.
His Conservative colleague Denise Cobb, currently the deputy mayor, is standing again and another candidate is being sought.
In a newsletter to people living in his ward Councillor Cox wrote: “Denise and I have to begin our midsummer newsletter by referring to the elections which will be taking place next year.
“Mike Weatherley, the MP for Hove, has announced that he will be standing down next year.
“Mike has fought a brave and largely private battle with cancer whilst continuing to represent us at Westminster.
“We are delighted that he was recently given the all-clear, but fully understand his decision to reassess things following this experience.
“Many of you will have heard by now that I have been selected by the local party to contest the Hove and Portslade seat as the Conservative candidate in 2015.
“I wrote this brief article for the Brighton and Hove Independent explaining how humbled I am to have been given this opportunity to serve the public of my home town in a different role.
“For the first time for many years, the parliamentary and city council elections will take place on the same day in May 2015.
“It would be inappropriate for me to contest both elections, and therefore I will not be standing as a councillor for Westbourne next year – although hopefully I will be able to continue to represent Westbourne at Westminster rather than in the town hall.
“Obviously this will create a vacancy for a Conservative candidate for Westbourne ward.
“We are keen to open the opportunity to stand to as many people as possible, so if you are interested in putting yourself forward do get in touch and I will happily explain what is involved.”
Despite the touchy-feely inclusive bit at the end of this piece about the new Tory candidate, I wouldn’t bother applying unless you think privatising lamp-posts is a good idea and have a fetish for underground car parks.
Cox is quite right to stand down, of course, but in doing so he also avoids the very real possibility that he could have lost both elections had he stood. Westbourne isn’t the solid Tory ward it once was.
Lets try that again… TROLL ALERT…
As in the above commenters for any other reason apart from insult ..
BHnews you removed my previous posting.. Please don’t do so again..
My comment was not intended as an insult, and there was nothing personal in it. I just objected to the implication that anyone could stand for the Tories – that there was no ideological commitment involved. Of course there is, just as there is for any other party.
For clarity, I am aware that privatising lamp-posts is not currently Conservative party policy (but it has been suggested by ultra free market parties elsewhere in Europe).
And it is undeniably true that, as per the last elections in both, the Hove parliamentary seat and Westbourne ward are both marginals.