THE chairman of a local political party has denied suggestions of a rift between members.

Andrew Butcher, the chairman of Barrow and Furness Conservative Association, said he was ‘surprised’ by suggestions by a Tory county councillor that there had been a falling out between the Barrow Council councillors and the local party machine.

Cllr Des English, who represents Dalton South on Cumbria County Council, said there was ‘no relationship’ between the Conservative association and Tory borough council members following a spat.

He also attributed criminal damage to the party office in Dalton and threatening phone calls he received to comments made by the deputy leader of the Barrow Council Conservative group.

Cllr Les Hall described the gesture of lighting up the Barrow Town Hall purple in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement as ‘tokenism’.

Police received reports of malicious communications made to the Conservative party office in Dalton following the comments.

Simon Fell, the Barrow MP, said ‘no political party’ should face threats or criminal damge.

Mr Butcher said: “I am very surprised by Cllr English’s comments as our Conservative Borough Councillors are very much part of the association.

“They work with us and our local MP to make Barrow and Furness a better place for all and are doing an excellent job.

“I agree with our MP that no political party should face threats or see criminal damage to their premises.

“However, the damage to the our office was done prior to the comments made about the town hall, so I am unsure as to why this is being attributed to that.

“Our local Conservative Borough councillors work tirelessly for local people, and make a great contribution to our town by holding the Labour administration to account, and I am confident that they will continue to do so.”