tories reject rethink on axed mp sacked mp howard flight s local conservative association has insisted he will not be its candidate at the general election russell tanguay agent for arundel and south downs tories said mr flight was ineligible to be a candidate and the association was seeking a substitute the news comes despite mr flight s allies saying they had enough support to hold a meeting to discuss his fate mr flight landed in trouble over remarks on tory tax and spending plans he quit as tory deputy chairman after apparently suggesting the tories planned extra spending cuts but he wants to continue as an mp tory headquarters says he cannot stand as a conservative candidate because he is no longer an approved candidate mr tanguay backed that view on tuesday saying howard flight is ineligible to stand as a conservative party candidate the association is in the process of selecting a new candidate but the local tory chairman made similar comments on friday and dissent continues two local councillors who back mr flight met mr tanguay and the local association s chairman in arundel on tuesday afternoon but did not comment as they left the meeting mr flight says he will not stand down as a candidate unless his local party instructs him to do so at an extraordinary general meeting egm the mp who is consulting his lawyers told bbc news they selected me and they if you like dispose of me or keep me mr flight s supporters also say they have the 50 signatures needed to trigger the egm at a news conference mr howard insisted he had played by the party s rules the tory leader who argues he is ensuring honesty said we do not say one thing in private and another thing in public labour election campaign coordinator alan milburn said the tories were in turmoil because mr flight had exposed their hidden plans the comments were not a oneoff he said claiming mr howard and other senior tories were obsessively committed to cutting public spending liberal democrat chairman matthew taylor said whilst i disagree with howard flight s views it seems extraordinary to sack somebody for telling the truth it has also emerged mr howard has suspended slough s constituency conservative association for refusing to deselect its candidate adrian hilton was abandoned after suggesting the signing of the maastricht treaty under john major s government was an act of treason the catholic herald also highlighted articles he wrote about the role of catholicism in the european union mr hilton was chosen to fight the seat after the previous candidate robert oulds was sacked for being pictured with a range of guns and a hunting knife slough conservative association has now been placed on support status and is being run from conservative campaign headquarters says a senior party spokesman mr hilton on tuesday said he was considering taking legal action against his deposal he said the local party had only