Blackpool Conservative councillors did give 'no confidence' vote on resort's Tory MP Scott Benton

With one exception, all the Conservative members on the council agreed with the no confidence statement and put their signatures to it, signalling a rift with the Blackpool South MP.

In a surprise move, the letter and signatures were made public at the weekend by Coun Tony Williams, who last week resigned from his role as Conservative leader on Blackpool Council following a fall out with Mr Benton over the selection of council election candidates.

How did the letter go public?

Coun Wiliams said he posted the letter on a closed Facebook site, Blackpool and Fylde Social and Political Group, as he felt he was being called a liar by the MP about the level of support for the no confidence vote.

The post was only on the site for 10 minutes before Coun Williams removed it – but it was spotted by prospective Labour parliamentary candidates Chris Webb and Sarah Smith and they have circulated it more widely on social media.

The MP, who has been re-adopted to stand at the next General Election, says Coun Williams had attempted to blackmail him by offering not to publicise the vote of no confidence if ditched councillors were reselected.

What did Councillor Williams say about it?

Coun Williams, who intends to become an independent councillor, said: “I have been called a liar by Scott Benton in a TV interview he gave over the weekend, trying to rubbish the fact the vote took place.

"I have told the truth about it all the time and I wanted to prove it, I am no liar and that’s why I posted it.

"What happens next is up to him now.

"I have been a Conservative councillor for 14 years and leader of the group for eight years, but this is not the group I originally joined and now I just want to serve the constituency of Anchorsholme as an independent.”

What did the letter say?

The letter to support the no confidence vote, worded by Coun Williams, stated that Mr Benton’s support for controversial candidates, at the expense of sitting members, had “seriously damaged the credibility of the Conservative party and elected members in Blackpool.”

It also said; “During his tenure in office we have been concerned by statements and comments he (Mr Benton) has made to the general media and on social platforms.”

The row first blew up after Blackpool South Association deselected Waterloo councillor Derek Robertson, while Squires Gate councillor Gerard Walsh was also deselected, but successfully appealed the decision and is expected to go before a new selection panel.

There has also been controversy over the choice of candidates Chris Higgitt and Carl Mather due to their social media posts, with the latter also being suspended from the Conservative Party.

What happens next?

Mr Benton said several of the councillors named in the letter of no confidence had since told him they "had no knowledge of it whatsoever", which had prompted him to lodge a complaint against Coun Williams.

He added: "I understand that the background to the letter reflects Coun Williams’ views on the selection of local council candidates in Blackpool, something that I have no control over as an MP and which is an issue for the local association."

He said Coun Williams "attempted to blackmail me" by saying he would send the "letter to the press unless I agreed to his demands."

Coun Don Clapham, who is now interim Conservative leader on Blackpool Council, accepted he was one of 13 Tory councillors to sign the ‘no confidence’ letter.

He said: “I have no regrets, what happened has happened and it’s all out there now, it’s like a genie’s lamp, you give it a rub and there’s smoke everywhere.

"What happens next is not up to me or any other councillor – the vote that really matters is the public vote in the elections in May, when constituents get to decide on the efficacy of their MP.”