Former London minister Paul Scully criticized Susan Hall’s selection as the Conservative mayoral candidate and announced his decision to quit before the next general election, becoming the latest Tory MP to do so.
Scully expressed disappointment at not being chosen as the party’s mayoral candidate, with London Assembly member Susan Hall selected instead. He mentioned that the perception among Londoners was that the party was “being disrespectful” to the capital and had “lost focus.”
Speaking to the Standard, the Sutton and Cheam MP said, “At the moment we’ve lost focus as a party. The budget clearly is a moment to try and regain that focus, but if we don’t then there’s a real risk that we just repeat the mistakes of 1997 and start chasing an ideology rather than listening to what people actually want.”
Former London Minister, Paul Scully (Credits: ITVX)
He continued, “I don’t want to retire as a politician but I’m not going to be part of the long-term solution. So it’s better for me to go. It’s been a real privilege to be the MP for my home area but it’s just the right time to go before things outside that home area start to present themselves.”
Scully revealed that he was not shortlisted for London Mayor because Conservative central officers were concerned his campaign could focus on government failures. He criticized the party for overthinking the decision and not considering Londoners’ best interests.
He remarked, “The irony is that they picked someone who is having their campaign run by central office and so therefore is quite close to government. The point is for London it was a very narrow view. Londoners want someone who can run a £20 billion organization.”
Mr. Scully’s decision to step down makes him the seventh London Conservative in the capital to confirm they will not stand at the election, expected in the autumn.
