National Wind Watch: Wind Energy News » Tim Yeo dropped as Tory MP by local party

Tim Yeo, the Conservative MP and chairman of the influential Commons Energy Committee, has been dropped as a candidate at the next election

His local constituency voted at a meeting on Friday night not to re-select Mr Yeo as its candidate in the 2015 general election.

Mr Yeo, 68, who has represented South Suffolk as its MP for 30 years, is said to be “considering his options”. He has the right to appeal the decision or put himself forward as a candidate when the selection process for a new MP gets underway.

In a statement issued to the local newspaper, the constituency party said: The executive council of the South Suffolk Conservative Association met on the evening of Friday, November 29 and voted not to re-adopt Tim Yeo for the 2015 general election.

“Mr Yeo is now considering his position and will advise the executive council of his intended course of action.”

Mr Yeo, a former environment minister in John Major’s government, is an enthusiastic supporter of renewable energy including wind turbines, which are deeply unpopular among many grassroots Conservatives.

In June he was caught up in a newspaper sting and faced allegations that he offered to lobby ministers and ‘coached’ a business associate who was due to give evidence to his committee. He stood down temporarily from his position as chairman of the Energy and Climate Change Committee while the allegations were investigated by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.

The committee cleared him of wrong-doing and he returned to his post last month.

Mr Yeo is no stranger to controversy. He was forced to resign from the Major government in 1994 after an extra-marital affair.

Mr Yeo, who won with a majority of 8,600 in 2010, will be 70 by the time of the next election and 75 by the end of that parliament.