Tory HQ hauls in all three London candidates for emergency meeting
The Express understands all three candidates vying to be the Tory Mayor of London were called into Conservative party headquarters this morning for a meeting.
A source said the meeting was arranged at the last minute, heavily implying it was to discuss the current situation with candidate Dan Korski.
The Express understands this morning’s emergency meeting with the candidates at party HQ was primarily to warn them against ‘blue on blue’ attacks, though it wasn’t made clear why that message had been deemed necessary to put to the three today specifically.
The candidates were asked to leave by the back door of CCHQ when the meeting was over.
Mr Korski remains under siege from an allegation of groping a TV producer in Downing Street when he worked for David Cameron, with his accuser taking to the Today Programme this morning to defend her claims.
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Daisy Goodwin refuted Mr Korski’s defence, delivered to this website in an interview yesterday, that he categorically denies the allegation.
She said people will have to decide who they believe, but there’s no reason she would come forward and make the allegation other than because it happened to her.
“I was shocked by it, I can’t say I’m a victim…”
Ms Goodwin claimed that since writing her op-ed on Monday evening she has been “contacted by other women with some very interesting stories, which obviously I can’t talk about for legal reasons but I feel entirely justified in having written a piece and naming him”.
Mr Korski and his team are adamant that he’s continuing with his candidacy.
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A source close to the contact has now told the Express that senior figures within the party are beginning to consider contingency plans should Mr Korski be forced to drop out of the race.
There are a number of available options, which include:
- Only giving members two candidates to vote on – namely Susan Hall and Mozammel Hossain
- Allow a third candidate to replace Mr Korski – likely Paul Scully who came fourth in the selection process
- Start the whole selection process all over again.
The latter choice will be seen as extremely unpalatable among those in the party.
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The Express understands this morning’s emergency meeting with the candidates at party HQ was primarily to warn them against ‘blue on blue’ attacks, though it wasn’t made clear why that message had been deemed necessary to put to the three today specifically.
This morning this website revealed Dan Korski’s adamant denial that he and his team were responsible for leaking the video of Tory aides partying in CCHQ during lockdown as part of a festive “jingle and mingle” drinks for former London Mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey.
Three people filmed in the video now work for his rival candidate Moz Hossain.
The Conservative party declined to comment.
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