Rift over first black MP candidate

BELEAGURED Tories have denied rumours of a bitter internal split after a successful black businessman was selected to stand in the race to become Windsor's next MP.

The national media claimed some party members 'stormed out' of the special general meeting on Friday night after Adam Afriyie, was chosen to fight the seat.

A report that an 'emergency meeting' was being called to heal the rift was branded 'absolute rubbish' by David Burbage who leads the Tories on the royal borough council.

And speaking to the Express, 38-year-old Mr Afriyie, insisted: "If I thought political correctness was at work, I would not have accepted the job.

"Everything I have achieved in my life has been based on merit and hard work."

Mr Afriyie's historic victory comes at the end of months of secrecy as the Conservatives whittled down the field from a record-breaking 233 applicants to their best man for the job.

On Friday, he beat contender David Platt into second place leaving Nick Hurd, son of former Foreign Secretary, Douglas Hurd, floundering in third.

Mr Afriyie is a founding director of Connect, an IT support services company report-edly worth ?40 million and as London chairman of the Business for Sterling group, is a vociferous opponent of the Euro.

A party activist for 15 years, he was born in Wimbledon to a white mother from South East England and a black father from Ghana.

"That is as much as I will ever say about my family and private life," he said.

He would not say if he was married or had children as he wished to protect his family and friends from media intrusion, but the Express understands that Mr Afriyie is married with no children.

Mr Afriyie, who currently lives in Kent, said the 'hard work starts right now' adding that he will relocate to Windsor as soon as possible.

"My primary focus is making sure people are represented well in the town and all the outlying areas too like Datchet, Horton and Wraysbury. Windsor is a lot more than the castle," he said.

Asked if he believed he would walk into the seat and if he was worried he would be damaged by the actions of sitting MP Michael Trend, Mr Afriyie said he 'took nothing for granted'.

But he would not be drawn into discussing the expenses row which led to the selection adding: "I am a new candidate with my own strengths and I hope my energy will work for the benefit of the constituency."

One of his priorities he says is to help the Conservatives regain control of the royal borough council.

"I am angry the LibDems pretend to care but they hurt people with, waste, inactivity and incompetence.

"There are cracks beginning to show there," he said.