Tory Bullying - Now A Suicide

Last year, this blog covered events at Conservative Future (CF), the youth wing of the Tory Party, where, in the space of a few days, its Chair Oliver Cooper, and Deputy Chairman (Membership) Sarah-Jane Sewell, were effectively forced out, the latter by a campaign of what gave every appearance of being dirty tricks. Fortunately for all concerned, the unpleasantness went no further than that.

In happier times: Elliott Johnson on the left of the picture. Behind him is former PPC Mark Clarke

But now, reported only thus far in any depth by Breitbart London, has come the grim news of a young Tory activist apparently taking his own life: “A young Conservative Party activist committed suicide last night, throwing himself under a train, according to his close friends … Twenty-one year old Elliott Johnson, who had run several Tory-affiliated blogs as well having been a volunteer for the Conservative Party, reportedly left a note behind before taking his own life that drew attention to people bullying him” [my emphasis].

The article goes on to tell “Friends of Mr Johnson told Breitbart London that ‘he was a really nice guy’ and that he had struggled with personal problems in recent weeks”, before ominously noting “Mr Johnson was recently, on August 12th, involved in a heated public exchange with a Conservative Party director”.

Conservative Way Forward’s website has carried this comment, by board chairman Donal Blaney: “Elliott was a talented and enthusiastic blogger who had the potential to become a campaigning conservative journalist. I can only imagine the turmoil that he must have been in to feel that he had no hope and no choice other than to end his life so tragically young. I offer his family my sincerest condolences and prayers”.

That view did not find any sympathy with Johnson’s family: comments left by his mother Angie at The Commentator, which have been passed to Zelo Street, include the firm assertion “The family do not accept Donal Blaney’s concerns”, along with much severely adverse comment directed at him. The Commentator post has been mysteriously deleted. Comments at the Breitbart post have recently been edited.

What might have been edited out of the Breitbart comments I will leave to others to deduce. In the meantime, information received on Zelo Street suggests that Johnson left a note before his death, which is now in the hands of the Police. Moreover, there is now an active Police investigation starting up as a consequence of information they have received. As a result, this post will not pass further comment on the matter.

Meanwhile, I can only reiterate the advice carried in the Breitbart post, “The Samaritans offer free advice to those affected by a suicide, or who have personal problems and are contemplating taking their own life. Their telephone number is 08457 90 90 90”.

British Transport Police can be contacted on 0800 40 50 40.