One of Rishi Sunak’s ministers has failed to put the word “Conservative” anywhere on his election leaflet – even the small print.
Bim Afolami, who is the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, does not mention his party once on the literature being sent to voters.
The Tory minister is standing in the new constituency of Hitchin in Hertfordshire, which has a notional majority of 11,264 votes.
The flyer, which is green on the outside, claims that “more and more people in Hitchin are backing Bim Afolami in the election on July 4”. It states he is “the candidate with a record of delivery”, but nowhere does it say what party he is standing for.
Mr Afolami said: “This was an endorsement leaflet with local people talking about my record as a local constituency MP. I have delivered many different ones.” He said that others had “the word Conservative on the front”.
Mr Afolami, who is an Old Etonian, was first elected as the MP for Hitchin and Harpenden in 2017. Ahead of the 2005 election, he told the Telegraph that he intended to vote Labour while a student at Oxford. He was one of Mr Sunak’s backers in his failed Tory leadership bid in summer 2022.
A number of Tory candidates have appeared reluctant to plaster the party’s branding all over their leaflets as it has struggled in the polls. Many have used green colour schemes instead of its traditional blue.
Robert Largan, who is seeking re-election in High Peak, last month faced criticism for campaign material that made it appear as if he is standing for Labour. He posted on social media a picture of his face superimposed on to a red background along with the slogan “Labour for Largan”.
There are no rules on what colours candidates use on their election leaflets.