Changes within the Conservative Party are not confined to national level after it emerged last night that a former failed candidate has been selected to stand in the Babergh election next year, in place of Mick Fraser.

Controversial Conservative candidate Alan Ferguson will contest a seat in the Hadleigh South ward, currently held by fellow Tory Cllr Fraser and Independent Kathryn Grandon, who is also Babergh chairman.

While Cllr Grandon is considering standing again in May 2023, it is not clear if Cllr Fraser was pushed out or stood aside voluntarily.

It is understood Mr Ferguson's nomination was this week backed by the Conservative executive, and then endorsed by two members of the Hadleigh Conservative Association, which included his close ally and friend Cllr Sian Dawson.

Cllr Dawson backing close friend Mr Ferguson

Mr Ferguson is considered a controversial choice after he failed to win a district council seat in the 2019 election.

He was among a tranche of Tories, along with Cllr Dawson, that left the Conservative Group in 2017 to become Independent Conservatives after an internal row.

He was also named as the official Conservative candidate to stand for the Hadleigh seat in the Suffolk County Council elections in 2021, however pulled out after criticism and Cllr Fraser was reinstated as the candidate and was re-elected.

Mr Ferguson had even placed double page advert in a community newsletter announcing his intention to stand in 2020.

In April last year Mr Ferguson made an unreserved apology and agreed to make a donation to charity after accepting he had made a defamatory comment about a journalist.

The equally controversial Cllr Dawson will stand once more the for Hadleigh North seat, which she won after the non-Conservative vote was split between Labour, Lib Dem and Green voters.

Cllr Dawson eating the contents of her nose after picking it

She was found to have misled Hadleigh Town Council with inaccurate and false statements she made in a monthly report and had to be corrected by Babergh leader John Ward. Dawson misled council

Cllr Dawson was sacked from the cabinet by the Babergh leader, before a reshuffle led to all Conservatives losing their places on the cabinet, as Cllr Ward and two others became Independent Conservatives and formed anew cabinet with Independent, Lib Dem and Green members. Despicable Dawson's removed.

The weakened Conservative Group then lost every chair and vice chair positions on Babergh committees, including scrutiny, planning and licensing and regulatory.

Cllr Dawson embarrassed fellow Tories when she was caught picking her noses and eating the contents during a Babergh cabinet meeting, which was being recorded on You Tube, and the clip was shared widely on social media.

She was also forced to quit before being pushed as a magistrate after abusing her position, when in London.

Nub News has contacted Cllr Fraser and Mr Ferguson for comment.