Twelve seats in third tranche

CCHQ has just released the next list of selecting seats.  The deadline for applications is 2pm on 15th January.  The list of twelve includes the two plum seats of retiring MPs Angela Browning (Tiverton and Honiton) and Michael Mates (Hampshire East).

1. Bradford West
2. Cheadle
3. Colne Valley
4. East Hampshire
5. Kingswood
6. Lancaster and Fleetwood
7. Lincoln
8. Nuneaton
9. Richmond Park
10. Tiverton and Honiton
11. Tooting
12. Warrington South.

Comments

[Annabel Herriott]

Good Luck everybody! May we all select a candidate who could win, rather one who has packed the hall with their mates!!!!!!

[Anon]

And who is on the A list following the top up?

[Annabel Herriott]

OOps! That should be rather THAN one who has packed the hall with thir mates.

[Klamm]

A great Christmas and hopefully a far more fruitful, productive and useful New Year to all those not on the A-List.

Maybe Santa will give you a free consultation at your local sex-change clinic as a Xmas pressie.

[Ex Candidate]

Annabel, you would not be referring to Bradford West by any chance? Eleven local Tories were recently arrested for electoral fraud.

I also hope that Colne Valley have a bit more luck this time. Maggie Throup was their third candidate in as many years. I suggest a local whippet racer with a cloth cap!

[ToMTom]

Bradford West should be a challenging seat - currently it has a very good Hindu MP representing a Muslim seat - probably one of the best Bradford MPs

[Lord 'Elpus]

I imagine Annabel is referring to Plymouth Sutton?

[Annabel Herriott]

I could not possibly comment!!

[Laurence.Ramsgate]

ToMTom I think you mean a Sikh not a Hindu!

[Antony Calvert]

Lincoln has a very favourable boundary alteration this time taking in the predominantly Conservative Skellingthorpe and Waddington.

I think that, given the right candidate, this seat should be right up there with the real scraps at the next election.

[Annabel Herriott]

I think Colne Valley will have their antenna tuned in for candidates that promise more than they can deliver after their selection experiences for the 2005 election!!!!

[TomTom]

ToMTom I think you mean a Sikh not a Hindu!

I most probably do.........

[Wellness]

I think Annabel is probably referring to Daventry, or perhaps Mid Norfolk....

[Annabel Herriott]

Marsha Singh is indeed a sikh. My guide to parliament states he was elected to Bradford West in 1997.
From your several postings, it seems that it must be a common practice to pack a hall with ones supporters. It would be nice if the 3rd tranche ended up with PPCs all selected on the considered liklihood of them winning. After all, what we need, as a party, is a load of new blue bums on those green benches, not some joker on an ego trip who must know in their darkest moments, that they hadnt a prayer!

[ChaunceyGardener]

What's happening to the selection process in Gillingham & Rainham? They were part of tranche 2 but nothing reported on the selection outcome yet. Have heard a rumour that the selection process has been taken over by CCHQ following the arrest of a prominant local councillor. Anyone know for sure whats happening?

[Paul Kennedy]

I also hope that Colne Valley have a bit more luck this time. Maggie Throup was their third candidate in as many years. I suggest a local whippet racer with a cloth cap! 18:24

Think the area has moved on a bit from that. ;)

[Kevin Davis]

This does not seem many seats, considering there is an argument that an election could be called early?

[Geoffrey G Brooking]

Fully agree with Antony Calvert.

If last year's council election results are also anything to go by Lincoln should be a Conservative Gain!

[anon]

Bradford West is indeed a real possibility with a majority of only 3000. However they need to choose the right candidate. It is simply not enough to choose a Muslim. It has to be a candidate from Mirpur (the vast majority of the Pakistani's in Bradford originate from Mirpur in Kashmir). The candidate must not have any baggage locally but does need family connections in the area. In the last election, the Muslim vote was split between three other candidates which meant that we did not get closer. This is something the new candidate needs to be aware of and perhaps will need to encourage some tactical voting.

[Joe Broughton]

I'm surprised they're not trying to get Anna Soubry into East Hampshire.

[mr. hussain]

"Bradford West is indeed a real possibility with a majority of only 3000. However they need to choose the right candidate. It is simply not enough to choose a Muslim. It has to be a candidate from Mirpur (the vast majority of the Pakistani's in Bradford originate from Mirpur in Kashmir). The candidate must not have any baggage locally but does need family connections in the area. In the last election, the Muslim vote was split between three other candidates which meant that we did not get closer. This is something the new candidate needs to be aware of and perhaps will need to encourage some tactical voting."

Anon how about just having the best candidate regardless of thier race or religon,or it that to radical?

[anon]

Mr Hussain

Unfortunately the world does not work like that as much as I and by the sounds of it you would like. It is a fact that in some areas your background matters more then if you are a good candidate. With the people from Mirpur this is even more true where the cast also comes into play so you could go for the best candidate and see Labour win this seat again! or you could be a bit shrewd and go for a good candidate who also happens to be from that part of the world.

[Sally Roberts]

It's a bit of a worry that there seem to be several seats that people think Annabel could be referring to!!!

[Tory T]

Anna Soubry is the candidate for Broxtowe!

[Annabel Herriott]

Sally, Thats because there are too many constituencies voting by packed hall, instead of sitting down and really thinking through whether their preferred candidate could win the seat for the conservatives.

[ROBIN JACKSON]

As Chairman of Lancaster & Fleetwood Conservative Assoc.I wish to invite applications for the post of PPC of this new Seat(No.6 in the third tranche).
We won Lancaster & Wyre with Ben Wallace, and recently a Labour stronghold Ward in Fleetwood (swing 20%).
Grim up North? our new Consituency includes the beautiful Lune valley (excellent salmon),moors owned by the Duke of Westminster and by the Queen, Duke of Lancaster(excellent pheasant),the fields of rural Wyre (excellent er cows)and the bracing sea air of Fleetwood(excellent sailing).
The historic County City of Lancaster has two, excellent Grammar Schools, and the University (excellent)is home to our secret campaign weapon: Conservative Futures!
We also have one of the biggest Green Party votes in the country, so Zac, if you are reading this, are you up for a challenge?
We have just opened a new office as a regional hub to provide training and support to neighbouring Constituencies.
Interested?RSVP ASAP to: Robin Jackson (07771 983 172) or e mail rjackson@rjackson.demon.co.uk.CVs must be with CCO by 8.1.07.

[Lancastrian]

So when is Ben Wallace officially going to announce his candidacy for Wyre and Preston North? He's certainly done well in Lancaster - was speaking to some distinctly none-Tory friends the other day who said they would even consider voting for him, depending on who Labour put up.

[Anon]

electoralcalculus.co.uk shows Lancaster & Fleetwood to have a notional Labour majority of 6970. Don't hold your breath, Robin!

[Rt Hon Sir Robert Atkins MEP]

Ben Wallace MP has already been selected and adopted as the PPC for Wyre & Preston North.

[Rt Hon Sir Robert Atkins MEP]

Ben Wallace MP has already been selected and adopted for the Wyre & Preston North Consituency.

[sonny bank]

it is obvious from the comments that nobody knows the electoral makeup of Bradford west - possibly some may not even know where it is. yes the northern side of the m25!!! approximately 186 miles from the slug and lettuce in Pimlico

it is not a muslim seat as many seem to think but a winnable seat with the right candidate.