Neil Parrish isn't standing and if he was then people would know why he had had to resign, so they can't use the "my local MP may be Tory but he's a good MP" excuse. Maybe the new candidate is a sterling chap, (or chapess), but they are still part of the Conservative Party. If they were elected they would still be part of the Government that is trying to undermining everything that is good about this country and are throwing farmers under a bus, along with reducing controls on animal welfare.
And why are we worried that at some undefined time in the future we might have a coalition of progressive parties when we have a party right now that is dismantling the state.
Why would anybody in their right mind vote Conservative at this by-election? Why would anybody worry about something that is not even on the cards when we have disaster today? Except to seed worry and doubt, maybe.