Breakfast with the leader of the 'Turnip Taleban'

Editor's note: Chris Mason was in East Anglia for the big Conservative Party dispute over their candidate for the south west Norfolk constituency. He covered the story for 5 live and wrote this reflection specially for the blog - SB.

Living at the end of a driveway deep in rural Norfolk that is as grandiose as it is gravelly is a man who has been giving David Cameron something of a headache.

The Stradsett Estate is quite a pad. A drive on lawn mower is being industriously but methodically manoeuvred amongst the towering, mature range of deciduous trees that separate me from the estate's lake, which is home to pike, roach, bream, tench and carp. Sir Jeremy Bagge is a 7th Baronet. He's a former High Sheriff of Norfolk. And he's been involved in quite a spat with David Cameron.

In Sir Jeremy's office, the radio is on and newspaper cuttings are scattered on desks. The Eastern Daily Press sits on top of a computer keyboard. The Sunday Telegraph too. Souvenirs from the political battlefield that give an insight into a tension in Conservative circles beyond Norfolk. Sir Jeremy Bagge has just failed in his attempt to persuade fellow Conservatives in south west Norfolk to deselect Elizabeth Truss as their prospective parliamentary candidate, after they weren't made aware of her affair four years ago with the Conservative MP Mark Field.

But this row is about much more than just sex. It's about country versus city, local versus national - and the extent to which the Conservative grassroots will let David Cameron mould the party in his own image. The primary weapon in this political battle has been the caricature. Those against Elizabeth Truss have been labelled the 'Turnip Taleban.' In return, they have lampooned what they see as the trendy, arrogant, metropolitan Notting Hill set surrounding David Cameron desperate to portray them as a bunch of bone-headed Neanderthals.

And yes, Sir Jeremy might have lost his case to see Elizabeth Truss deselected. But he hasn't lost the appetite for a fight.

I went to meet Sir Jeremy so he could speak to Nicky and Shelagh. What he had to say certainly got you going on the texts. "I have had tremendous support from constituencies around the country. I have been totally deceived and betrayed - and so has Elizabeth Truss - because Central Office never brought to our notice that there was something in there that could embarrass us," he said.

He also admitted getting some stick from his family for comments he made in the Sunday Telegraph about his wife "I have got absolutely nothing against women. Who cooks my lunch? Who cooks my dinner? How did my wonderful three children appear? Women, you can't do without them. My God, take my wife," he told the paper.

When Nicky asked Sir Jeremy if being portrayed as a dinosaur by Conservative Central Office would actually help David Cameron, he remained defiant. "Well good luck to them. I stand here and I am prepared to fight. My great, great grandfather was an MP for 35 years. This is in my veins. I am not worried about them at all. I vote Conservative although I am not proud to be one."

And he might not be the only one. Local associations elsewhere are bristling for a fight too. Just down the road from here, the constituency of Central Suffolk and North Ipswich is another safe Conservative seat. And it's another seat where some local Tories feel bruised. None of the shortlisted candidates are local, and a number of local councillors have made their frustrations public in the East Anglian Daily Times.

So, boisterous, independent-minded local Conservative associations causing David Cameron a bit of headache has the potential to become something of a recurring theme. Mr Cameron will want to define himself against those he can portray as dusty old crusties, whilst not putting too many of them off knocking on doors on his behalf as the general election campaign gets under way.

Chris Mason is a politics reporter for BBC News

• Chris took the picture himself.