We won't do Independent-style graphics often but here are a few stats re Saturday's selection of Steve Barclay for one of the Conservative Party's safest seats (you can click on the graphic to increase its size):
These numbers raise all sorts of questions about the health of Conservative Associations in supposedly deep blue constituencies and the degree to which selection meetings, including open primaries, are vulnerable to entryism.
Two plum seats are selecting this 'Super Duper ' weekend. N E Cambridgeshire today and Maidstone and The Weald tomorrow. Steve Barclay was in the final for both and has been selected today. David Senior was runner up.
Congratulations to Steve who inherits Malcolm Moss' projected majority of 7,530.
The open primary final will take place on 19th January. A long wait for the finalists.
Ann Widdecombe's seat of Maidstone & The Weald (majority 11793) and Malcolm Moss' seat of North East Cambridgeshire (majority 7530) are open for applications from today until 2pm, Wednesday afternoon (14th November). Expect a lot of candidates to go for them although it appears that the seats are only open to A-listers and local candidates.
Malcolm Moss has announced he will be standing down from his seat at the next election:
"I have concluded that with the 'old age pension' looming next year, perhaps this really is the right time to decide to make this Parliament my last. I had to decide that if there was an election in October, would I want to serve another five years. No I wouldn't."
The local association, who have known about it for a month, will decide on the selection process in two weeks. His majority has been reduced by boundary changes from approximately 9000 to a measly 7500, however, so I hardly think any candidates will bother with it...
Deputy Editor
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