THE Scottish Tory stalwart fighting a “stitch-up” to stop her becoming the country’s next MEP has joined forces with another senior Tory suing the party over a place in Brussels.
Belinda Don, who claims she is a victim of Ruth Davidson running her party like a clique, met former Olympic rower Alex Story, who is suing the Tories in England for breach of contract.
Mr Story was second on the candidate list in Yorkshire and Humberside in 2014.
When the region’s sole Tory MEP was made a Lord last year, Mr Story expected to replace him in Brussels, but was passed over for the third place candidate.
Ms Don, 58, who was assistant to an MEP for 12 years, was second on the Scottish list in 2014.
She also expected to go to the European Parliament when MEP Dr Ian Duncan was given a peerage and a job as a Scotland Office minister after failing to get elected as a Perthshire MP last month.
But Ms Don is being blocked by Scottish Tory HQ amid speculation Ms Davidson would prefer to install the third or fifth place candidates instead.
Ms Don, who voted against Ms Davidson becoming Scottish leader in 2011, says the party hierarchy is being undemocratic and riding roughshod over the membership.
She said last month: “It seems that if you are not in with Ruth Davidson, then you are out.”
Ahead of Friday’s meeting with Mr Story, she said: “It seems the Conservative Party puts political favour above democracy.
“Alex and I will be meeting to see how we can work together. We both wanted to go into politics to defend democracy; little did we think we would end up having to defend democracy against our own."
Meanwhile, Dr Duncan, who is ennobled as Lord Duncan of Springbank on July 20, has said he only accepted a peerage “after soul-searching and a heart-to-heart with my husband”.
Writing in Holyrood magazine, he said critics of the appointment needn’t call him a lord.
"There will be those for whom the House of Lords is an affront. OK.
“Many states appoint representatives to their second chamber. If you are offended by the title, don’t use it. Just call me Dr Duncan. It’s how my mother addressed the last Christmas card she sent me."
The Scottish Tories say no formal decision had yet been taken on their next MEP.
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