Nigel Hastilow

In April 2007, Hastilow was selected a prospective parliamentary candidate (PPC) for the Conservative Party for the Halesowen and Rowley Regis constituency, but was deselected after he received criticism about a newspaper column he wrote for the Express & Star which included the statement "Enoch Powell was right", sparking a national controversy about immigration and racism.

Earlier that year it had emerged that Hastilow had put a comment on his website which was subsequently taken up to attack Hague's leadership by Tony Blair at Prime Minister's Questions.

[citation needed] He is a supporter of The Freedom Association, and has spoken at some of its events including a debate on the future of the BBC, and he is a backer of the Drivers' Alliance, an organisation dedicated to defending the interests of motorists.

[citation needed] Hastilow is a strong advocate of free market economics, believing high taxes and increased regulation stifle entrepreneurialism and force businesses to abandon Britain.

[citation needed] A traditionalist on education, Hastilow was for some time a member of the Conservative Party committee (chaired by John Bercow, a previous Speaker of the House of Commons) campaigning to protect the country's remaining grammar schools.