THE rift between St Albans MP Anne Main and local Tory chairman Seema Kennedy has widened, with the former insisting the latter's version of events is wrong.

After the Review reported Mrs Kennedy's claim that five top local party officials had called on Mrs Main to step down on July 8, the MP issued a statement claiming that no other officers of the association had been present.

Mrs Main says she then discovered that most members of the executive council were “completely unaware of Mrs Kennedy’s concerns, that they had not been consulted by Mrs Kennedy, that they remained supportive of Anne as member of parliament for St Albans and that there was deep unease about some of the actions of Mrs Kennedy and another officer, Mr Matt Peck.”

At a meeting of the executive council yesterday, she says, “The members present made it quite clear that they had not been consulted by Mrs Kennedy about her views, and the calling of a meeting to discuss the de-selection of Anne. At the meeting, the executive council unanimously voted that Mr Peck should be asked to offer his resignation immediately.

"The members present also expressed deep dismay at the way the matter was being handled by Mrs Kennedy and Mr Peck. Mrs Kennedy and Mr Peck have also been given 14 days notice to attend a meeting of the executive council to discuss termination of their membership, scheduled for August 12.”