A SENIOR North Yorkshire MP could be ousted by her own party, following an internal split with grass-roots supporters.

Anne McIntosh is facing a de-selection vote from her own constituency party in a fortnight’s time, The Press understands.

The Thirsk and Malton Conservative Association has called a meeting for September 2, when it is believed Ms McIntosh could be ousted.

She was chosen in 2006 to fight the new seat at the next General Election, following the merger of the existing Ryedale and Vale of York seats.

Reports on a party website said a motion had been tabled for the meeting, proposing that the association “do hereby deselect Anne McIntosh as their Parliamentary candidate”.

Ms McIntosh would neither confirm nor deny the claim when questioned, saying only that the meeting would “discuss the way forward in preparation for the General Election”.

The Conservative MP was first elected in the Vale of York in 1997 before being re-elected in 2001 and 2005 with an increased majority. She is also Shadow Minister for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. She beat Ryedale MP John Greenway to the nomination for Thirsk and Malton three years ago, but sources quoted by the Conservative site said relationships between Ms McIntosh and senior members of the local party have since broken down. The reasons are unknown.

Gillian Gill, the Conservative party’s agent for the Thirsk and Malton constituency, would only confirm that a meeting would take place.

She said: “There is going to be a meeting in Malton the week after next.

“We are going to discuss the way forward and how we can move on as an association.” Ms McIntosh was one of many MPs to face scrutiny during the expenses scandal at Westminster earlier this year.

The move comes just days after fellow Tory Anne Main survived a de-selection vote in St Albans, called in the wake of the expenses scandal.