'CAN I introduce you to the next Member of Parliament for the City of Chester?'

This was the optimistic assessment proffered by a young Conservative supporter to his friends at the end of a evening at Alexander's Jazz Theatre bar in Chester after spotting Paul Offer at the bar.

Mr Offer was flattered but not complacent, telling the student, home from university, that the seat would only be won through hard work. In the event, he lost the 2005 election by a whisker.

Mr Offer's hard work was never an issue, even for his critics. Party activists described him as a 'prodigious worker'.

And the Conservative Association was pleased with his performance against sitting Labour MP Christine Russell and reselected him in September of last year.

Association chairman Brian Crowe said by the following month everything had changed but is loathe to go into detail.

He said: 'It [reselection] was a good decision. At the time it was right but it has gone pear-shaped ever since. It's about trust and judgment. There were a series of doubts raised about his judgment.'

Cllr Crowe, who represents Mollington, said another problem was Warwick-based Mr Offer's failure to fully commit to Chester by moving his family here on a permanent basis.

He said: 'Questions were being asked by members whether he would ever come to Chester.'

Mr Offer said he was unaware of a single occasion when officers had called him over concerns with his performance - but Cllr Crowe said the candidate was advised 13 months ago to change his ways. But rather than representing a fresh start, that meeting marked the start of a deterioration in Offer's relationship with the local association.

'There was a breakdown in communication between him and the office,' said Cllr Crowe, who insists the situation was always viewed objectively.

Mr Offer has gone out with a bang by accusing local members of 'sexist bullying' and of making 'racist' and inappropriate comments about the disabled, adding that his claims would be the subject of a formal investigation.

Cllr Crowe said he had no knowledge of an inquiry and there was 'no evidence' of such remarks, although regional press officer Ian Lewis confirmed a probe was taking place.

Vice-chairman Simon Harris said of Offer: 'He's a man who's hurt, a man who's wounded. I think he will think differently in the cold light of day. I feel sorry for him. I do like him and I like Trudy. This isn't personal. This is politics.'

Embarrassing stories eroded party support > > >

Embarrassing stories eroded party support

WHEN Conservative city councillors branded their parliamentary candidate an embarrassment, the future looked grim for Paul Offer.

This damning judgement was contained in a document (pictured below) leaked to The Chronicle, backed by 22 out of the 27-strong group of councillors at a meeting.

Group leader Cllr Margaret Parker would only concede that members were bothered by our recent article featuring the 13-year-old Rover the wannabe MP drove around Chester.

The car, owned by Mr Offer's wife, Trudy, was pictured on the road with a flat tyre and no tax disc on display.

Mr Offer had caused embarrassment in the past. In 2004, he hit the national headlines for allegedly writing his own fan mail.

An e-mail from Mr Offer's personal e-mail address was accidentally sent to The Chronicle asking the intended recipient to put their name to a letter praising his good qualities and to forward it to the newspaper for our letters page.

Mr Offer's explanation was that the letter was genuine but the real author wished to remain anonymous.

This July, he told The Chronicle he was living with his family in a rented house in Chester when, in fact, he stayed at the homes of other Conservative members while visiting the city.

Failure to move to area proves damaging

PAUL Offer and his family live in Warwick but he committed himself to moving to Chester when he became the Tory parliamentary candidate.

He only half-fulfilled the promise which led to disquiet among Tory activists who felt he needed a local base to campaign effectively.

Mr Offer and his family had rented a house at Saighton before the 2005 election and had hoped to eventually buy a home in Hoole. But he also had to pay a mortgage on his £500,000 home in Warwick and when the property failed to sell, freelance management consultant Mr Offer, his wife Trudy and two young daughters - including new-born baby Zoe - were forced to return to the Midlands.

* Neville Johnson, chairman of the Cheshire and Wirral Area Management Executive, praised Paul Offer's efforts to become Chester's MP.

He said: 'This is a very disappointing decision by Paul after many years of hard work by him to turn around our fortunes in that constituency.'