A former Conservative party member has defected to the BNP to stand in the local elections – while her husband stands for the Tories in another ward.
Sheila Spink is running for the far-right party in Heatons North, Stockport.
Her husband of 20 years, Conservative candidate Alex Raisbeck, is standing just a few miles down the road in Manor ward.
But Ms Spink said the decision had not caused tension in her marriage.
She said: “It’s absolutely no big deal. I was with the Conservative party. I have left the Conservative party.
“I don’t think they will do what is necessary to be done in this country. I don’t think they are tackling the big problem.
“My husband has not left the Conservative party and that’s his business.”
Speaking from the couple’s Heaton Mersey home, Ms Spink said she left the Tories because she felt they are not up to the job, particularly on immigration.
She said: “There’s no mention of immigration at all.
“They are just not dealing with that problem.”
The BNP has a policy of ‘firm incentives’ to force non-white people to leave Britain.
Ms Spink admits her husband, who stood for the Tories in the 2008 local elections in Heatons South, and came second, feels differently.
She said: “Alex is standing for the Conservatives in one ward and that’s his business. We are husband and wife and we have been married for 20 odd years – forever.
“There’s absolutely no animosity. It’s two professional adults. We are both in our 60s.
“We have lived a lot of life and look at things from a different angle.”
Mr Raisbeck, who has campaigned in the past with current Conservative parliamentary candidate for Stockport Stephen Holland, was not at home to comment.
A local Tory insider said the party had become aware of the situation in the last few days.
He said: “We are going to get slaughtered about this. We never realised she’d joined the BNP. He’s got some explaining to do. It’s gone past the date where we can withdraw the candidate without the candidate’s permission. In my view it’s not tenable. It’s come as a total and utter shock.”
The Conservative party did not respond to the our request for a comment.
Manchester Evening News
