A Conservative group is running a campaign to oust Bim Afolami as the MP for Hitchin.

The Conservative Post, a Conservative news website, is calling on local party members to deselect Mr Afolami - and nine other sitting MPs - who they believe are "liberal centrists" rather than "actual centre-right conservatives".

If ten per cent of Conservative party members within a given association send in letters of no confidence in their MP, they can be deselected ahead of the next general election. Mr Afolami, currently MP for Hitchin and Harpenden, was selected a year ago as candidate for the new Hitchin constituency.

A statement on the Conservative Post website reads: "For too long there have been concerns the Conservative Party’s candidates department have been weeding out actual centre-right conservatives and pushing liberal centrists.

READ MORE

"Let’s change that. It’s time to start flexing our muscles and steering our party back to proper conservatism.

"We want MPs who promote proper conservative values: free speech, free markets, free people, low taxes, small government, Brexit and Britain! Poll after poll show the country is also calling out for this."

They said that Conservative party members have told them "the first ten MPs they want deselected".

In addition to Mr Afolami, the MPs they are calling to be deselected include Victoria Atkins, the health secretary, Laura Trott, the chief secretary to the treasury, and Alan Mak, a business minister.

Mr Afolami was contacted for comment on this article.