Manchester Tories Are Bitterly Divided Over Reform UK Defector's Replacement

Greater Manchester Conservatives were plunged into disarray on Thursday, and many local members remain deeply unhappy with how the party lost its candidate to the Reform UK party.

On Thursday, Dan Baker, who was the Conservatives' candidate to challenge Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham for the position unexpectedly defected to Richard Tice's populist right wing party. Barker will now contest the race for Reform UK on 2 May. 

Within 12 hours, former cabinet member and Village ward councillor on Trafford Council Laura Evans, who fought the 2021 Manchester mayoral election for the Tories, had been selected as the Conservative replacement. One Tory source believed extensive media coverage of Barker's defection bounced the party into moving faster than they'd like to find an alternative ahead of the Friday morning deadline.

Barker, who was the chairman of Wythenshawe and Sale East Conservatives, was selected as the Tory mayoral candidate in December 2023. His selection caused controversy within the local party at the time, and many activists were underwhelmed by his effort and ability to raise funds.

“He left us in the lurch. He does not have a clue about policy or politics,” one local Conservative source told PoliticsHome.

Another Conservative party source in the northwest described Barker as "lacklustre" and said members had not been surprised by his defection. 

It is understood that after Barker was selected as the Tory mayoral candidate in December 2023, he was told the party expected him to raise his own funds, something that is believed agitated him.

In 2021, last time the seat was up for election, Evans raised £50,000 within two weeks. She subsequently received 19.6 per cent of the vote, coming second to Labour's Burnham who won