TORY chiefs suffered another by-election headache today as The Sun can reveal a crunch seat candidate was nominated by a benefit fraudster and ex-cop who covered up drink driving.
Helen Harrison, the girlfriend of disgraced ex-MP Peter Bone, is standing to replace her lover in Wellingborough next month.
Helen Harrison, the girlfriend of disgraced ex-Tory MP Peter Bone, is standing to replace her lover at the Wellingborough by-election. Credit: Ray Collins.
But Tory bosses were left red faced after nomination papers showed she was backed by a former policeman who received a four month jail sentence for conspiring to cover up drink driving and an ex-councillor who fiddled their incapacity benefit.
Candidates standing to become MPs must be nominated by ten local voters, called subscribers.
These often include local party members or councillors.
One of Harrison’s endorsers was Matt Binley, the son of Northampton South’s former MP, Brian Brinley.
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It was reported in the North Northants Journal that the ex-cop was slapped with a four month jail sentence in 2010 for conspiring to cover up drink driving.
Having smashed the car after spending his evening at a nightclub, Binley then pretended that it was his relative who drove the car.
Another of Harrison’s local supporters is Bhupendra Patel, a convicted fraudster.
It was reported in the BBC that in 2013 Patel was given a suspended jail sentence for failing to disclose his councillor allowance while receiving incapacity benefit.
Patel resigned the Conservative whip once convicted.
Labour today slammed the Tories’ nominations list as a “moral rot”.
Toby Perkins MP, Labour’s Political Lead in Wellingborough, said: “The Conservative Party have replaced an MP accused of sexual assault, and banned from Parliament, with a candidate propped up by a convicted fraudster.
“Voters will be asking – what does it say about Rishi Sunak?
“This is the party that may claim to be the party of law and order, but under Rishi Sunak, it is morally rotting and at war with itself.
“With Labour, Wellingborough will get its future back.”
The Tory party – who represent Harrison – refused a request to comment.
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