June 4, 2019 4.10 pm This story is over 57 months old

Leadership bets and “navel-gazing” warning from senior Lincolnshire tories

Conservative members in Lincolnshire will be “watching closely”
MPs debate in the House of Commons.

Senior Conservatives in Lincolnshire have warned their national counterparts to stop “naval gazing” when it came to everyday issues as the party’s leadership election looms.

Lincolnshire County and East Lindsey District Councillor Colin Davie said members will be  watching closely the party’s upcoming leadership campaign – not just over Brexit.

Councillor Davie is backing Boris Johnson saying he was “someone who is committed to the opportunities of the global world we will all be living in after Brexit”.

“He is committed to making sure Brexit is delivered in the way the British people who voted for it need it to be delivered.”

He believed Mr Johnson could reunite the Conservative agenda.

Councillor Colin Davie. Photo: Steve Smailes

However, he warned those at Westminster to deliver the manifesto they stood on and said members were “watching closely”.

“It is important the party elects a new leader who absolutely captures the mood of the vast majority, not just of Conservative members, but the people in this country.

“They want Brexit to be over, for us to look at the issues of the future and deal with them.

“The day job has not been taken care of over the last few years, the things that make a difference in everyday lives have been on the sidelines.”

He said the Government still did not have a green paper on adult care or any assurances on the future of council funding.

“These are the things that need to be addressed, we need a leader who can do that, a party that’s committed to delivering its manifesto and a Government looking into the future, not naval gazing.”

Leader of Lincolnshire County Council Councillor Martin Hill

Council leader Martin Hill, however, would not be drawn on who he would vote for, instead saying he would be waiting until the options were whittled down to two people first.

However, he said: “It has to be someone who supported Brexit in the first place and secondly, anybody who is still in the cabinet under Theresa May would rule themselves out because the tragic situation that went on was allowed to carry on and those in the cabinet allowed it to carry on too long.”

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