Heseltine tells Tories not to vote for party

FORMER Henley MP Michael Heseltine has urged Conservative voters to back Liberal Democrat or independent candidates in next month’s general election.

Lord Heseltine, a former Conservative deputy prime minister who represented the constituency from 1974 to 2001, said Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Brexit policy would be “utterly disastrous” for the country.

He said his successor’s pledge to “get Brexit done” by January was “nonsense” and there was still a risk of a no deal exit.

Three former Tory MPs — Dominic Grieve, Anne Milton and David Gauke — are standing as independent candidates after being thrown out of the parliamentary party and Lord Heseltine encouraged Conservatives to vote for them or for the Lib-Dems.

He said: “I’m telling them to vote for what they believe in and what the Conservative Party has stood for all my life and probably all theirs — and to put country first.

“What I think that means in practical terms is they either vote for defrocked Conservative candidates, of which we have three excellent examples, or they vote for the Lib-Dems.”

Lord Heseltine told Radio 4’s Today programme: “It is complete nonsense to suggest that this thing can be done by Christmas.

“All you can do by Christmas is pass legislation to enter into negotiations. It is like the boxer saying, ‘okay, you have been training, now you can get into the ring’.

“We are in for another year of uncertainty and the possibility of a no-deal exit at the end of it. That is the reality of what we are facing if Mr Johnson gets an overall majority.”

Sitting Conservative candidate for Henley John Howell said: “I think he’s living on refighting the referendum and I don’t think that’s a realistic option in light of the democratic decision that was taken.

“We can’t afford is go over and over again the arguments that were heard. We need a solution to the uncertainty and Boris got a deal, which I support.”