Complaint against former Blackpool Tory thrown out by party

Mr Williams was leader of the Conservative group at the time of his suspension in February this year following a complaint made against him by Blackpool South MP Scott Benton.

He subsequently resigned from his role, left the Conservative party and lost his seat after standing as an independent candidate at the May local elections.

But an internal inquiry has found Mr Williams did not breach rules when he wrote to Mr Benton warning of a vote of no confidence in him by Conservative councillors, concerned about candidate selections.

Mr Benton said Mr Williams had threatened to blackmail him by saying he would send the letter of no confidence to the press if deselected councillors were not reinstated as candidates for the May 4 council elections.

However the inquiry by the Conservative Party disciplinary sub-committee has ruled Mr Williams did not breach any principles of public life, or bring the party into disrepute by his actions.

The panel said it would be “unjust” for him to face the matter “as a stand alone Respondent without the wider group.”

But it criticised Mr Williams’ email to Mr Benton which was deemed to be “misjudged in tone, and is certainly poorly articulated on behalf of the group”.

However the panel did “not consider that it crosses the threshold of bringing the party into disrepute” and no sanctions were imposed.

Mr Williams claimed the decision showed Mr Benton had singled him out over the vote of no confidence, which had been a group-wide action.

He added: “I think that it’s blindingly obvious that Mr Benton had maliciously made the complaint with the sole intention of preventing me from running as a Conservative in the local elections and having me removed from the Conservative group.”

He said he was now taking legal advice following the outcome.

Mr Benton said he did not wish to comment on the sub-committee’s decision.

Meanwhile an investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner is continuing into Mr Benton’s own conduct.

He was suspended from the party whip in April after undercover footage by investigative reporters appeared to show him offering to lobby on behalf of gambling investors.