A SENIOR York councillor says he is "extremely angry and very hurt" after being barred from standing for the Conservative party at next May’s elections.

Bishopthorpe ward councillor John Galvin, who has served on City of York Council for a total of 16 years and chairs its area planning committee, has revealed that a York Conservative Association approval committee has decided not to approve him as a candidate.

He said he was "appalled" that after being interviewed, he was sent an email telling him he had not been selected for the party’s list of candidates without any reason being given or any expression of gratitude for all his years of service.

“There was no explanation at all, and no thanks,” he said, saying he could only believe it was "personal".

He said he was 80 years old but did not believe his age had been a factor.

Cllr Galvin said his anger had intensified after he subsequently discovered the association was tweeting a message encouraging people to come forward to stand for the party at the elections.

He said that as word began to spread in Bishopthorpe that he had not been approved, the reaction had been one of "utter amazement".

He added that he had been a Conservative Party member for more than 50 years, and served on Huddersfield and Kirklees councils before coming to York, and had also worked as a party agent in York and several other constituencies including Selby and Vale of York.

Asked whether he intended to stand as an independent for Bishopthorpe in May, he said: “All options are on the table.”

Matt Freckelton, chairman of York Conservatives, said Cllr Galvin had not been "deselected", saying no one was, as to "deselect anyone would imply being a councillor was a job for life".

He said: "He has instead not been approved as a Conservative candidate to stand in the next election, to then hopefully be selected by the electorate.”

He claimed that Cllr Galvin not being approved was "no different to various people in various other parties in York and around, including many sitting councillors, who have also not been approved".

He said the association had followed candidate selection guidelines laid down by the party.

“There is a formal process and any candidate can appeal the decision of the approval committee,” he said.

“Before the approval process began, it was signed off by the York Conservative executive council, of which Cllr Galvin is a member.”

He said it was "disappointing" the councillor had chosen to contact The Press and also said it would be "strange" to thank a councillor for their service mid-term, adding: “He remains a Conservative councillor until May 2019.”

He confirmed that age had not been a consideration but said: “As you would expect, and I am sure Cllr Galvin is well aware, we will not give any comment on the reasons why anyone is not approved, not least as we do not collect consensus reasons from the seven-member committee.

“This is in line with the guidelines as laid down by the Conservative Party.”

He added that there were 47 council seats to fill with candidates and the party had been putting out appeals for candidates for some time, as had all of York’s parties.