The Green Party’s 2017 General Election candidate has been accused of lacking charm after he claimed a stuffed chicken could get elected in Lichfield if it wore a blue rosette.
Robert Pass made the comments after finishing fourth in the polls as Michael Fabricant extended his majority to retain a seat he has held since it was created in 1997.
But the Conservative MP said his Green Party rival had failed to learn lessons from his performance at the last two General Elections.
“Robert Pass’s bitter comment ‘Tories could get a stuffed chicken elected in Lichfield if it had a blue rosette on’ demonstrates yet again the problem that dogged his campaign in Lichfield – one of lack of charm and of naivety,” Mr Fabricant said.
“He seems to have learned nothing by coming a poor fourth on election night last week.
“He may not recall, but others do, that the Lichfield constituency used to be highly marginal. In 1997, the Conservative majority was only 238. It was one of the most marginal in the country.
“It was through the hard work of my team and my accessibility and visibility as an MP, that the Conservative majority consistently bucked the national trend and has risen at each of the five General Elections since.”
The result last week saw the Greens finish adrift of the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats in Lichfield and Burntwood.
Mr Fabricant added: “Mr Pass needs to learn lessons from Chris Worsey, the Labour candidate, and Paul Ray, the Liberal Democrat, who – while not sharing all of my political beliefs – campaigned positively, with dignity and without spite.
“I wish them both well for the future.”
