SIR Patrick Cormack, one the longest-serving Tory MPs, will almost certainly challenge his constituency's decision to dump him at the next General Election.
Sir Patrick failed to get re-adopted as the Conservative candidate for his South Staffordshire constituency by a majority of one at a meeting on Monday night but it is understood the MP will fight the decision.
Last night Sir Patrick wanted to keep the constituency guessing but it is more than likely he will instigate a postal ballot of the 500 or so paid-up Tory party members in the constituency.
Whatever the outcome of the ballot, Sir Patrick, will stand at the next election, if needs be as an Independent.
Speaking to The Herald, he said: "I don't know the exact figures but I do know it was extremely close because 14 people subsequently pledged their unswerving support, including the chairman, Councillor David Billson.
"As far as I am concerned, I am looking upon this as a very minor setback. I have every intention of giving the electors of South Staffordshire the chance to pass their verdict on my services at the next election," he added.
Sir Patrick's allies admit that they did not anticipate the defeat but it has now been brought to their attention that a small cabal has been beavering away behind the scenes trying to fix the nomination for another local figure.
Pointing out that Sir Patrick was inundated with support yesterday from the upper echelons of the Tory party, Northern Ireland and Westminster colleagues, one of the MP's friends questioned the methods of selecting candidates, when one vote could terminate a political career of 36 years standing.
At the last General Election, he increased both his share of the vote and his majority, 8847, represents 52.05% of the vote.
He said that not a single word of criticism was uttered by his political opponents at the meeting.
"The only critical comment made was my failure to put the word Conservative sufficiently prominently on my election literature.
"As I had the largest swing to the Conservatives in the country at the last election, I did not take that particularly seriously," he added.
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