Honiton: Helen Hurford won’t comment on whether she’d like Parish’s support

The Conservative candidate for this month's Tiverton and Honiton by-election has refused to say whether she would like the support of disgraced former MP Neil Parish.

In an interview last week Mr Parish, who resigned in April after he admitted to watching pornography in the House of Commons, said he would be "very happy" to campaign for the Conservative candidate Helen Hurford if she wanted his help.

But Ms Hurford won't say whether she would like his support.

Mr Parish has said he is willing to take as visible a role in the campaign as Ms Hurford and the Conservative party wish.

Right now, that appears to be nothing.

Last week, Mr Parish said: "I am here. I will be talking to people that have supported me in the past.

"I'm very happy to introduce her [Ms Hurford] to people if she wishes me to do so but I'm entirely really now in the hands of the party. 

"Naturally It's her decision very much how she runs her campaign and I do wish her every success."

Mr Parish said it is important to have a female candidate, partly "because of the circumstances" of his own high-profile and much-lampooned exit.

He added: "I think it's probably quite fitting now that after 12 years of a man representing the constituency it's really good to have a very able woman." 

As well as Helen Hurford for the Conservatives, businesswoman Liz Pole, who also ran in 2019, will stand for Labour, and former army major Richard Foord will be the Lib Dems' candidate.

The Liberal Democrats are hopeful of leapfrogging Labour, who have beaten them in the last three general elections and are challenging the Tories to take the seat.

Reform UK, formerly known as the Brexit Party, has named Andy Foan as its candidate.

The Conservatives are defending the majority of more than 24,000 votes bequeathed them by Mr Parish in the 2019 general election.

Voters in Tiverton & Honiton will go to the polls on Thursday 23 June.