Tory candidate lobbying for planning firm while backing green belt

A leaflet issued by John Howell, Conservative candidate for Henley, promising to defend the green belt

John Howell, the Conservative candidate in the Henley-on-Thames byelection, is campaigning to keep the green belt while acting as a lobbyist for a planning company that advises housebuilders on contentious land and property deals.

Howell, who is citing fighting development in Oxfordshire's green belt as one of the key reasons to support him in the byelection on June 26, was accused of "grade-A hypocrisy" by the Liberal Democrats.

But he says none of his work for the planning firm has involved green-belt developments.

The candidate has given interviews to the local press and issued a leaflet supporting his backing for the green belt.

His leaflet says: "Defend South Oxfordshire's green belt. Howell: I'll continue to stick up for the green belt."

Howell cites stopping a gravel-pit development and fighting plans for 4,500 houses south of Oxford as prime examples of action he has already taken to safeguard people in Oxfordshire from future developments.

"People can see that when I promise to stand up the local green belt I mean it," he has told his local paper.

But on the website for Write Angle PR - where Howell offers his services as a media trainer - he describes himself as "a consultant to the management team of Dialogue, a leading communications firm in the planning sector, and to Savills Hepher Dixon where he also provides communications and political lobbying consultancy on large and contentious land and property developments".

Lord Rennard, the Liberal Democrats' campaign manager for the Henley byelection, said: "The Conservatives may have made a major mistake in Henley. People are determined to protect the green belt.

"They have chosen someone who says that he wants to protect the countryside. People will be shocked to learn the truth that he is closely tied to developers who are desperate to build in controversial locations. This is grade-A hypocrisy."

Howell, who sits on Oxfordshire county council, is seeking to succeed Boris Johnson as MP for Henley.

He has also been under fire for not making it clear that he works as a lobbyist for Savills when he attended a conference organised by the company on the South East Regional Structure plan - which decides on which areas should be developed.

See the full report at: guardian.co.uk