Seven (mainly plum) seats start selecting

1. Bournemouth West
2. Cannock Chase
3. Castle Point
4. Halesowen and Rowley Regis
5. Old Bexley and Sidcup
6. Rochester and Strood
7. Westmorland and Lonsdale      

According to CCHQ:

• "The closing date for these applications is midday on Friday 30th May.
• Only applications on the standard CV template (attached to this email) will be accepted.  Please only use this template.
• Once complete, TWO signed copies of the standard CV template should be sent to Gareth Fox at The Candidates Team, CCHQ, 30 Millbank, London    SW1P 4DP.  You must comply with this.
• The CV should run to no more than 2 pages plus the 1 page cover sheet. Any CVs submitted that do not meet this criteria will not be accepted.  These pages must be stapled.
• Please do not include photographs on your CVs.
• Emailed CVs are not acceptable, they must be hard copies."

Flyde will be in the autumn, we understand.  More on Henley in a few minutes...

Comments

[Dave B]

Do you know if any of these seats will be using an open primary/caucus in their selection process?

[The Silent Majority]

I don't fancy westmoreland and lonsdale. The Lib Dems have that one sown up.

Too many sheep!

[GeoffH]

As a resident of Westmorland & Lonsdale, I can tell you that the siting of election posters in the recent local elections would indicate it's the sheep that vote Tory ad householders LibDem!

In fact, I suggest that the LibDem strength here supports my theory that they're like dog poo on the shoe; they create an awful smell and are very hard to shift.

Whoever gets the nod here will have their work cut out and this once the stronghold of Michael Jopling. A crying shame, I tell you.

[Adam]

I wouldn't describe Cannock Chase as a plum seat. The seat has an almost 9000 majority, a good, independent-minded Labour MP (Dr Tony Wright) and rock solid Labour support in most of the constituency, particularly old mining areas. Its an unwinnable seat.

[Editor]

I agree Adam, that's why I said they were "mainly plum". Cannock Chase, in particular, and Nigel Hastilow's vacated seat are harder asks.

[Jonathan M. Scott]

Cannock Chase and Halesowen & Rowley Regis are in the West Midlands and are ripe for the taking as "Mondeo Man" swings back to the Tories. (See the recent NOC Gain of Wolverhampton City Council, lost by Labour for first time in 15 years.)

[Ian Galletley]

Sorry, but the post about Cannock Chase is off the mark. Those of us who are old enough will remember Patrick Cormack, who's still in the House, winning the seat in 1970 from Jennie Lee (Aneurin Bevan's widow) when the overall situation was far less favourable. Cannock most certainly can be won, but not by a Southern Suit. An awareness of Steve Bull and the Wolves is a must for any would-be applicant.

[Joe Cookson]

I agree with Ian about local candidates; too many people are parachuted in into seats like Cannock Chase. There are too many seats like this which we used to hold and now regard as unwinnable. The trick is to get a local chap in and working hard, and the absence of this is what has seen us slip backwards or make no progress in such areas. Hopefully the central party have finally woken up to the need for local candidates, but I won't hold my breath...

[IanC]

In Cannock Chase we took 45% of the vote in the May elections just gone, won 8 of the 14 seats on offer, and increased our vote haul by 15% on the previous year. Inroads are starting to be made into Rugeley, with significant increases in our vote since 2005.

In addition the boundary change has taken out one of the Labour strongholds (Huntington).

Add this to persistent concerns about Dr Wright's health, and the growth of new estates for commuters to Birmingham.

Cannock Chase is a difficult ask, but it is ideal territory to make a big impression, with the outside chance of a victory.

[comstock]

Cannock went Tory in the bumper years of 83 and 87. Would have to be a very bad night for Labour for it to go again though.

[SM]

These are generally all winnable (or non-loseable) seats but do the reasons why they are late selecting a PPC make them less so?

Old Bexley & Sidcup is safe whoever is in there, as is Bournemouth West and now Spink has signed a death warrant on his political career by joining UKIP I would say that is too (as an Independent he stood half a chance).

Aside from maybe Cannock, swings and boundary changes should make the rest Tory in theory but they all have problems. R&S and W&L would appear to be a bit of a shambles really and H&RR must've been shaken by the issue with the former PPC. They are still winnable but the right candidate selection is crucial.

[John D]

Does anyone know when Fylde may start selection procedures?

And why on earth has Rochester and Strood not yet selected?

[Des]

Why are so many "Tory Activisits" now obsessed with "Local" candidates ? Is it a problem with agedness ? They sound like the cast of "League of Gentlmen" . "Vote Tubbs - your Local candidate for Local Shoppers" .

Imagine if the "Local people" of Fincley had decided they didn't want some country girl from Grantham in "their London". How different a Britain would we be looking at now ? The Tories claim to be the party of the Union, but won't select candidates from the next town. That would have ruled out most of Maggie's cabinet.

Voters are not the bunch of narrow minded "he went to my school" obsessives which so many selection committees seem to imagine. There is a place for "local activists" with minds as insular and bitter as that.. its called UKIP

[Steve]

Because Des some seats work better with a local candidate. Simple as that.

Just as northern seats generally work better with northern candidates. It actively does put voters off up here if the Tories select someone from down south for some seats. The impression is given that we have nobody local who can stand and have to import candidates from 'down south'.

Not such a problem in southern seats of course.

Not fair but a reality.

[SM]

Des, all seats are different. In some a local candidate can make all the difference, in others it makes no difference where the candidate is from.

And its not a case of 'he went to my school', but coming from a local area can give the impression to voters that a candidate is in tune with local issues

[Des]

Thanks for your comments. But it implies to me that down south we are open to people of talent regrdless of where they come from, but rural areas want one of their own rather than ability.

Interesting how being hostile to outsiders and being poor seem to go together so often. The same applies to lots of inner city constituencies who vote Labour. Success only cares about ability.

You paint a picture of much of the UK as being little more than "The Deep North". A place where local politics is run by somebody called "Pappy" "; a British form of "Dixieland" where "city folk" need to keep out

That's not what I've found when I've visited them. I think the problem is they have had useless outsiders dropped on them, and they resent "useless", not "outsiders". Public school buffoons who thought the peasants were blessed to have them.

The Lib Dems claimed attacking Ming was "age-ism". People didn't think him old, they thought him feeble, and they were right. Political parties often find poor excuses for their own poor selections.

Too many Tory activists are more narrow minded than they were in the 1950s. The voters they lost a decade ago, and need to get back, are not. If they were, the country would be awash with UKIP councillors and serious challenges.

But if such narrowmindedness is true, and effectively the UK is regressing to some bitter third world swampland, then frankly it doesn't matter who runs the country.

[Chris Buckwell]

To "SM" I would ask whether an Association which holds two fundraising events each month (last Monday a dinner for 40 with Sayeeda Warsi, and the next on Bank Holiday Monday 26 with Dan Hannan), has nine out of nine active ward branches, holds 18 of 22 Council seats, held a council by-election this month with an increased majority of over 1,000, and has an Exec of 50 activists, is an Association "in a bit of a shambles"! Not so, I assure you. We are a friendly and welcoming Association who were placed in supported status in October 2006 because the then voluntary agent (from the adjoining seat) was arrested. Nothing ever came of that.

The officers look forward to receiving applications from all on the list. Our Executive Committee will meet on 2 June to decide the timetable.

We are told by activists who visit us from elsewhere that we are one of the best organised and active Associations they have dealt with.

Chris Buckwell
Association Organising Secretary

[SM]

Hi "Chris Buckwell". Well you obviously know more about it than I. To be fair though I merely said that the Association APPEARED to be a bit of a shambles as until informed otherwise by yourself that was the impression I was given.

It just seems that R&S is a seat that has been laid on a plate by the boundary commission yet still needs work to keep it that way, and a seat in that position still to have no candidate (and never to have had one, its not like anyone stood down) at this stage suggests something wrong somewhere. Is that not a fair assumption?

[Westmorland Activist]

Westmorland is still Tory - just some of them vote Lib Dem. As to whether we win it back in two years time will depend upon the PPC. Anyone who thinks it doesn't matter where the candidate comes from should look at Westmorland as a case study.

I don't quite know how to say this without it being overwritten but the people of Westmorland took Michael Jopling to their hearts. They didn't understand Tim Collins even though he was just as nice a bloke.

But, the association is not a shambles. The problems have been with certain personalities in North West area who have chosen to misrepresent the situation for their own advantage.

[woodentop]

"The trick is to get a local chap in and working hard..."

Or a local Chapess?!!!!

[Chris Buckwell]

Thanks "SM". On the face of it, I understand your previous remarks. CCHQ have entirely controlled selection, of course. My own view on the boundary changes is that last time we would have won (on the new boundaries) by at least 1,500. In the new seat (of course whole wards, post 2003 new Medway ward boundaries being applied) our worst polling district ("PD") transfers to Chatham and Aylesford, and we take in two good PDs from Chatham and Aylesford and two reasonable PDs from (the current) Gillingham. We lose a tiny PD to Gillingham, also. As everywhere, I agree that much work will nevertheless be required to ensure our victory in the seat next time.

Chris Buckwell
Association Organising Secretary

[SM]

Chris, thanks. Interesting to know some details and on reflection yes I probably did use some unfair terminology. It sounds like your Association hasn't exactly been helped by CCO in terms of candidate selection!

It would be a shame to see a repeat of 2005 in R&S. When you get sorted I am happy to come down and help with campaign if needed?

[Chris Buckwell]

Thanks, SM. All visitors to Rochester and Strood are most welcome. I can be contacted on chris.buckwell@btopenworld.com
Social events are on Monday 26th May, Wednesday 10th June, Saturday 21st June (a mini-cruise!), and the Chairman's BBQ on Saturday 28th June.
Chris Buckwell
Rochester and Strood CCA Org/Sec

[John Peel]

Out in the country we have only just seen this – its total b***cks from Westmorland [in]Activist

“Westmorland is still Tory - just some of them vote Lib Dem.” In the recent local elections the Tories lost 35 to 65 with LDs gaining seats.

“As to whether we win it back in two years time will depend upon the PPC.” No, it depends on the local Tories – it was their woeful show that saw a 15,000+ majority disappear.

“I don't quite know how to say this without it being overwritten but the people of Westmorland took Michael Jopling to their hearts”. He was a good campaigner, resonated with the locals and good constituency MP.

“They didn't understand Tim Collins even though he was just as nice a bloke”. NO, they did understand his Chingford conservatism; they did not like it or him. Nice bloke?

“But, the association is not a shambles”. IT IS and events prove it.

“The problems have been with certain personalities in North West area who have chosen to misrepresent the situation for their own advantage.” What a pathetic whinge. Wake up and smell the coffee WA.

[Matt]

Its been 4 weeks since the closing date for applications, and all I am aware of is that
a) Cannock Chase have selected Aidan Burley
b) Sharon Massey did not make it onto the final 20 for Old Bexley and Sidcup

Surely the other 6 seats must be getting close to announcing the final shortlists!!