tbg. can exclusively confirm this morning that such is the unease within Hampshire Conservatives at the continuing revelations as regards former MP Michael Mates that ANOTHER Conservative Council Leader is set to call for him to stand down later.
Last night it was revealed that Mates made a profit of over £100,000 on a tenancy at the public expense from a property at Dolphin Square in London when he was an MP.
So far, the leading figures to call for him to go have been Portsmouth North Conservatives Chairman Steve Wemyss who also used to be the Leader of the Conservative Group on Portsmouth City Council and the Deputy Leader of Gosport Council Graham Burgess.
Councillor Wemyss told Channel 4 News that "Candidates should be beyond reproach but there are question marks over him which the public deserve to have answered."
Another highly influential Conservative told tbg. last night that - "Party members from across the County are frustrated that Michael Mates made the grade."
"The Police Commissioner role is about integrity, about delivering a Police Service for the public in Hampshire, and about being whiter than white."
"Michael Mates has skeletons that we don't like."
"He interfered with the Serious Fraud Office’s investigation into Asil Nadir; he was a character witness at Nadir’s trial; Asil Nadir has been convicted of numerous counts of theft from Polly Peck International."
"He should pay this back!"
Conservative Councillor for Hilsea in Hampshire, Neil Young, has also told tbg. that Mates "shoud do the hournable thing and stand down!"
