John Procter wins battle to be Yorkshire MEP

Former Olympic rower Alex Story’s final appeal to the courts to intervene failed leaving the way open for Coun Procter to take the seat.

It brings to an end a row which started when former MEP Timothy Kirkhope was handed a peerage earlier this year, leaving one of Yorkshire’s six seats in the European Parliament vacant.

Mr Story was second to Mr Kirkhope on the Conservatives’ candidates list for Yorkshire at the last European elections and claimed the seat should be given to him.

Leeds City Council chief executive Tom Riordan, the European elections returning officer for Yorkshire, offered Mr Story the seat but the Conservatives refused to endorse his claim.

The party instead put forward Coun Procter, who was third on the last in 2014, for the seat, triggering a bitter dispute which this week ended up in the courts.

Mr Story asked for an injunction to prevent Mr Riordan offering the seat to Coun Procter but he was unsuccesful.

It is understood Mr Story could yet take legal action against the Conservative Party over his treatment.