Tory Activist Killed Himself, Coroner Rules

Tory activist Elliott Johnson killed himself after being bullied and felt he had failed in several aspects of life, a coroner said.

Senior Bedfordshire and Luton coroner Tom Osborne ruled he was satisfied Mr Johnson intended to take his own life when he was hit by a train in Sandy, Bedfordshire, on 15 September.

Mr Johnson, who had alleged he had been bullied by individuals in the Conservative Party, had been suffering from deep depression before he took his own life, the coroner added.

He had been made redundant by pressure group Conservative Way Forward (CWF) after making the allegation, and in a note left for his parents he accused Conservative Party campaign chief Mark Clarke of bullying.

The inquest heard Mr Clarke had threatened to "squash" Mr Johnson like an ant.

He claimed Mr Clarke had "gone ballistic" during a pub row over the use of a photograph on a website and threatened to "destroy" his career.

During the confrontation last August, Mr Clarke, who led the Road Trip 2015 campaign for young activists in which Mr Elliott was involved, had allegedly threatened to sue him for breach of copyright.

Mr Johnson's father Ray Johnson told the coroner he believed Mr Clarke had "ruined" his son's career.

"We were unaware of, at the time, a victimisation campaign by Mr Clarke towards Elliott and other members of the Conservative Way Forward, which was getting steadily worse."

After Mr Johnson killed himself police found three letters in his south London home.

One addressed to his parents said: "Overall, I failed in life in spite of your help, for which I am very thankful.

"I have also been involved in a huge political issue. I have been bullied by Mark Clarke and betrayed by Andre Walker. I had to wrongly turn my back on my friends. Now all my political bridges are burnt. Where can I even go from here?"

Paul Abbott, former chief executive of the CWF, also told the inquest that other volunteers had made complaints about Mr Clarke, who had a "vendetta" against CWF.

Mr Clarke, who has been expelled from the Conservative Party, has repeatedly denied the allegations, as has Mr Walker, a lobby journalist who encouraged Mr Johnson not to pursue his complaint.

As Mr Abbott was questioned about the bullying claims, the coroner warned the Johnson family's legal team to remember the scope of the inquest.

"I'm not going to allow this to degenerate into a trial of Mark Clarke," Mr Osborne said.

:: Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org