A CONSERVATIVE MP has claimed the leader of Bournemouth council silenced a colleague by threatening to withdraw his cabinet job, the Daily Echo can reveal.

The allegation – which has been denied by the councillor – came amid the row over an independent councillor defecting to the Conservatives days after the local elections.

Bournemouth East MP Tobias Ellwood was unhappy that the leadership of Bournemouth council had welcomed defecting councillor Derek Borthwick into their ranks before he became a member of the local party.

He did not want the councillor admitted into his local Conservative association.

In a private email seen by the Daily Echo, Mr Ellwood said there was a “considered view” across Bournemouth East Conservative Association (BECA) that “it would it would be inappropriate for someone who stood against the Conservative Party just a week ago to join the Tory fold so soon”.

He said the association, chaired by Cllr Robert Lawton, had been set to release a statement to that effect until council leader Peter Charon stepped in.

“When my chairman informed Peter Charon out of courtesy, Peter threatened to withdraw Bob Lawton's cabinet post unless BECA accepted Cllr Borthwick,” he wrote.

“This is not the sort of leadership decision that can go unchecked. And in my view an apology is in order.”

He added: “After what was a terrific victory, this has been a sad week for Bournemouth Conservatives, where standards of integrity and usual practices have been compromised.”

The remarks came in an email to deputy council leader Cllr John Beesley, after the pair clashed publicly over Cllr Borthwick’s defection.

Cllr Lawton told the Daily Echo: “Peter never made such a threat. I think that’s artistic licence.”

He said the constituency party’s executive would decide on Cllr Borthwick’s membership application when it met in September.

Mr Ellwood declined to comment and Cllr Peter Charon was unavailable.

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