Tory candidates resign amid golly doll backlash

A Black Country couple due to stand as Tory council candidates have resigned from the party amid a row over photographs of them posing with a golly doll.

Bill Etheridge, aged 41, and wife Star had been suspended from the Conservative party after a complaint about the photographs they posted on Facebook of them purposely holding up the doll.

But the couple, who were making a stand over political correctness, have now resigned. Mr Etheridge said today that he had decided to join UKIP instead.

The "golly folly" stand-off blew up after Mr Etheridge, chairman of the Claverley branch of the Conservative Association in Shropshire, and his wife questioned what was wrong with the wild-haired black toys on their Facebook site.

The leader and deputy leader of Dudley Council, Councillors Anne Millward and Les Jones, last week warned them their stance against "political correctness" could give people ammunition against the party ahead of the elections.

And on Friday the Etheridges were told in a letter from the party's head office voluntary section disciplinary committee in London that they were being suspended for 30 days.

The emailed letter said their actions might "bring the party into disrepute".

The Sedgley couple, of Tipton Road, who are also members of the Black Country Campaign Against Political Correctness, have now resigned from the party.

Mr Etheridge said he was mystified why there was a "big deal" over the golly doll.

"When we were growing up it was just a toy and it didn't even look like a person," said Mr Etheridge who had been selected to stand as Dudley Council candidate for Brockmoor and Pensnett in the next elections in May.

"We can't understand why they are now a 'no-go' area. The term 'political correctness gone mad' is well used — but this is a total golly folly."

Mrs Etheridge, 39, who was due to stand as Conservative candidate for Coseley East, said: "It's ridiculous. I can't see how we can bring anyone into disrepute with a little rag doll."

The couple had removed the Facebook "golly" photos before Christmas after a local party member told them they could cause trouble — but they posted them back on their website "wall" after resigning.