Activists fear jilted husband's election campaign

Alison Davies, a former deputy chairman of the North Wiltshire Conservative Association, is urging members to reject Mr Gray as the party's next General Election candidate. She has written to them with seven reasons why Mr Gray should not be kept on. One of those reasons is that Rupert Mayo, with whose wife the MP had an affair while his own wife Sarah battled breast cancer, will fight a damaging campaign against Mr Gray.

Mrs Davies said: "I have not spoken to Rupert Mayo about whether he will stand against James Gray but he is a very upset man and nothing would surprise me.'' A member of Mr Mayo's family said yesterday the barrister has given no indication he will fight the seat. "He did not mention anything to me about doing so when we met over the Christmas holiday,'' he said.

The activists' letter, co-signed by Mrs Davies, former association chairman Frank Soden and party member Jane Cox, went out yesterday, ahead of ballot papers which will begin dropping through 1,000 letterboxes across the constituency tomorrow.

The letter accuses Mr Gray of not working with county and district councillors on local issues. "Without consulting local councillors, he issues press releases and statements, often at odds with local Conservative policy and illustrating his inability in the eyes of the association, county and district councillors to be a team player. At the last election two agents resigned, as they could not work with him,'' says the letter.

It also says Tory district councillors fighting the local elections in May have refused to have him endorse their campaign. The claims were backed by Malmesbury district councillor John Thomson in a statement released by the campaigners.

He said on it: Frankly, I am embarrassed at the prospect of being associated with him in the minds of my voters. He has destroyed his own credibility not only by his handling of his private life but by his lack of judgement. In short, I don't want to talk about him on the doorstep or have his name associated with mine on election literature. I know I am not alone among my Conservative councillor colleagues in feeling this way.'' Fellow district councillor Toby Sturgis was quoted on the same release saying: "It is in neither the best interests of the Conservative Party nor James Gray himself that he continues in this divisive ballot.''

How MP is said to have offended party faithful

James Gray's political style has upset councillors and party workers.

A Tory insider said: "The constituency has some 20 branches. Half have said they will no longer support him.

"He became chairman of the campaign group over the Wootton Bassett leisure centre closure and failed to consult on payments for swimming lessons. He went on TV saying he was going to get the county council to hand over more money.

"While councillors were seeking to improve Junction 16 on the M4, he failed to consult and described the attempt as crass stupidity'.

"When councillors were seeking to work with Swindon councillors on issues of joint concern, Mr Gray described the town as a dump.'' Mr Gray says Alison Davies' opposition stems from the last election when he refused to use the business centre at her home in Great Somerford as a campaign headquarters.

The activists' letter to members

January 2007 Dear Member, You are about to be asked if you wish James Gray to be our Prospective Parliamentary candidate at the next General Election. We MUST return a Conservative MP and we urge you to consider carefully whether Mr. Gray should now be your sole choice or whether you would prefer to consider him along with other candidates for the following reasons.

1. Your Executive Council has already rejected him as their candidate, and branches and individuals have indicated they will no longer support him either financially or physically.

2. There have been months of negative publicity, both national and local, that have damaged Mr. Gray's reputation and reflected on our Association.

3. We are aware that an independent candidate will stand against Mr. Gray if he remains our candidate. This would split the vote and could let in a Liberal Democrat.

4. Mr. Gray has lacked political judgement. Days after being appointed Shadow Scottish Secretary he was sacked for riding roughshod over party policy. During the last General Election campaign he used his wife's illness to curry favour and was then forced to admit to a long-term relationship with a married woman.

5. The majority of Conservative councillors preparing for this year's District Council elections refuse to have his endorsement on their literature.

6. Mr. Gray assured a previous Association chairman that he would divulge any matter that would harm the party or Association in the run up to the General Election - then failed to disclose his relationship with a married woman.

7. Without consulting local councillors, he issues press releases and statements, often at odds with local Conservative policy and illustrating his inability in the eyes of the Association, County and District councillors to be a team player. At the last election two agents resigned, as they could not work with him.

Yours sincerely, Frank T Soden Reprsenting three past chairmen Manor Farmhouse Chedglow Crudwell Jane Cox Representing the concerns of many members Oate Barn Kingsdown Box Alison Davies past deputy chair, patron and NeWsCAst editor

The statement to the press released by the three activists

A coalition of local Conservatives at every level is uniting to deselect James Gray as North Wiltshire's candidate at the next General Election.

Alison Davies, one of the signatories who is past Deputy Chair of the Association, Patron and NeWsCAst Editor, said: "Our letter to members of the Association is designed to give them a full picture of the reasons behind the decision of the Executive to vote that they do not want James Gray to be their sole choice as Prospective Parliamentary candidate at the next General Election. James Gray has never been a team player. That is evidenced by the fact that Frank Soden, the Association chairman during the last General Election, represents two other former chairmen in calling for James Gray to be deselected by party members. At the last General Election two agents resigned because they could not work with him. At the beginning of the campaign he appointed himself campaign manager; at the end he wrote to the volunteer management team that had worked tirelessly for him criticising the way the campaign had been run.

Jane Cox, past Association Chair and current Box and Colerne Branch Chair who signed the letter representing the concerns of many members, said: "It is not surprising that the main body of Conservative District councillors in North Wiltshire do not want him involved in their election campaign. I have had to work with him since 1997. He was not a team player then and he is not one today. Working for him was stressful for councillors and volunteers. Being rude to volunteers is bad enough but councillors have an elected role in local politics that demands that they be consulted. As for James Grays political judgement, just look at the Real Business website where James Dyson is castigating the MP for opposing development of his Malmesbury factory and suggesting it should go to Birmingham or Slough where the jobs were needed."

Frank Soden, who signed the letter representing three past Association chairmen, is currently abroad. In an open letter in the New Year he said that the Association "can rightly feel deceived" because James Gray did not disclose before the General Election his relationship with a married woman. Frank Soden had specifically asked James Gray earlier to tell him of any problem that would affect the Association - and undertook to do his best to support him if he did so.

James Gray has so far failed to reply to the charge of deceiving the Association. Alison Davies said: "Instead of answering this serious allegation, James Gray has once more sought to deflect his failures by making cheap personal jibes at those who have cause to criticise his judgement."

Cllr John Thomson, Conservative District Councillor for Malmesbury for eight years who is standing for re-election in May, said: "James Gray has dug himself into such a hole that it is now impossible for me to go onto the doorsteps in the run up to the local elections and talk about him as a good MP. Frankly, I am embarrassed at the prospect of being associated with him in the minds of my voters. He has destroyed his own credibility not only by his handling of his private life but by his lack of judgement: he accepted the post of Shadow Scottish Secretary and within days was sacked for seeking to overturn Shadow Cabinet policy; similarly, he called Swindon a dump - not the brightest of things to say when the party wants to take its two Westminster seats from Labour. In short, I don't want to talk about him on the doorstep or have his name associated with mine on election literature. I know I am not along among my Conservative councillor colleagues in feeling this way."

Cllr Toby Sturgis, former leader of the Conservatives on North Wiltshire District Council, called on James Gray to withdraw from the ballot immediately. "It is in neither the best interests of the Conservative Party nor James Gray himself that he continues in this divisive ballot," he said. If James Gray would stand down, the new North Wiltshire Conservative Association could invite candidates to put forward their names for the seat. There is no reason why James Gray could not put his own name forward for the new selection process. This would enable the Association to carry out a selection process to appoint the best person available to fight the new seat. Once that selection is eventually made, I hope that all Conservative County and District Councillors can work together to win the local elections and subsequent General Elections."