A LOCAL decision to re-adopt Marcus Fysh as the Conservative candidate for the next General Election in Yeovil has been over-ruled by the party's head office.

Due to a technicality, Central Office annulled Yeovil Conservative Association's confirmation that it wanted Mr Fysh to stand in the next poll, likely to be next year.

Instead, the local executive committee will now have to rule on whether he can potentially continue as the MP.

The reason for quashing the original decision is because of a boundary change that will see Somerton and Frome transferring to another constituency.

Members representing those two towns had voted in the original vote.

Yeovil Conservative Association president Martin Wale said: "The executive officers made that decision (to re-adopt Mr Fysh) as they were originally entitled to do.

"We were told that the adoption process hadn't been accepted by Central Office and therefore we have to restart the process.

"The new process we have been asked to carry out has to take in the whole executive committee.

"There are other steps to take in the committee adoption process.

"It hasn't yet been decided one way or the other whether Marcus will be re-adopted."

The initial decision to re-adopt Mr Fysh was taken a number of weeks ago, only for Central Office to intervene.

It is believed around seven or eight committee members unanimously agreed to stick with Mr Fysh.

It is thought about 30 people will have a say in the second vote.

Australia-born Mr Fysh, 52, has been MP for Yeovil since 2015, since when he has served under five Tory Prime Ministers.

A Conservative Party spokesman said: “In November the Boundary Commission produced its revised proposals for new constituencies.

"The Party nationally is currently working through this process.

"In the case of the Yeovil constituency, and others, the process is not yet completed.”