Only 35% of the ConservativeHome.com Members' Panel supported the idea of an 'A-List' when it was surveyed at the beginning of December. When the issue was discussed on the ToryDiary there was a generally negative reaction. Bernard Jenkin MP, the new Party Deputy Chairman for Candidates, agreed to respond to ten of your biggest concerns...
1. David Cameron has said that he has a mandate for the A-list but it was hardly discussed during the leadership campaign and a rigid 50/50 split was never proposed. Shouldn’t members have been consulted on this change?
BJ: "Throughout his campaign, David Cameron consistently stated that the Conservative Party would need to change in order to win: “Change to win” was his campaign slogan. David laid great emphasis on modernising the Conservative Party, and set out his desire to increase the representation of women, people with disabilities, and people from black and minority ethnic communities on numerous occasions.
For example, in a key interview on Radio Four’s Woman’s Hour, David Cameron said that he was not in favour of all-women shortlists, but would consider everything short of that measure. He added that the idea of drawing up a so-called “A-list” was “a good idea worth looking at”. When challenged if that should consist of half men and half women David said, “Fifty-fifty would be good”. As one of a small number of media-organised, head-to-head broadcasts, the interview and his comments were widely reported in the press."
2. Localism is one of the Conservative Party’s biggest new ideas with our commitment to give parents and patients more choice. The only area where there is going to be less choice is in the Conservative Party where local associations will choose from a narrower slate of candidates. Isn’t this wrong?
BJ: "The autonomy of constituency associations to select their preferred candidate remains a fundamental principle but Conservative Associations have also long accepted the principle of restricted choice by means of a centrally-controlled Candidates’ List. We are not prescribing which candidate they should select.
The new Priority List reflects the political imperative of the Conservative Party to become more representative, but it remains my job to ensure that every Conservative Association is content with the choice of prospective candidates I offer them."
3. David Cameron appears to be emphasising the need for more women candidates and candidates with ethnic backgrounds or with disabilities. Very little emphasis is being placed on candidates who have spent their life in the voluntary sector or in the public services, for example. Getting more women and black faces on the Tory benches is only limited progress if they are barristers and financiers like many existing Conservative MPs. Do you agree?
BJ: "We do have people from the public services and the voluntary sector on the list already but this question makes a good point, which David Cameron has also asked me to address. I am in discussions with Iain Duncan Smith of the Centre for Social Justice about how we can recruit and mentor potential candidates from the voluntary sector and the public services.
“Broadening our representation” means more than just increasing the representation of women or people from black and minority ethnic communities."
4. Isn’t it unfair that you are going to bring in people with no previous connection with the Conservative Party and give them a better chance of being a Tory MP than those who have loyally served the Conservative Party – as candidates, councillors or leafletters - for many years?
BJ: "All candidates have to demonstrate their commitment to the Conservative Party as part of the existing Parliamentary Assessment Board selection process. This will also apply to the selection process for the Priority List but long service to the Conservative Party cannot be the only criterion for selection. We must also consider their merit, ability and potential.
In some cases, people may not have been able to serve as a councillor or in other capacities within the Party prior to applying."
5. What alternative career progression within the party may/will be offered to those who are told they cannot be considered for a target seat?
BJ: "All candidates on the approved list will continue to receive central support from Conservative Campaign Headquarters. Being on the Priority List will be neither a guarantee of success nor the only means of becoming a Conservative Member of Parliament. Candidates who wish to be promoted to the Priority List will have every incentive to continue serving the Party in whatever capacity, most particularly as Parliamentary candidates in non-target seats."
6. What plans are in place to train external people about what it really means to be a candidate?
BJ: "Under the reforms announced by David Cameron, in addition to drawing up a Priority List, we will implement a programme of headhunting for new women, black and minority ethnic candidates, and mentoring programmes to support them.
We are currently drawing up a new guide to becoming a Conservative MP which explains some of the rigours of the process of selection and the role and responsibilities of a candidate once he or she has been selected."
7. Isn’t there an insider-outsider problem here? All the white men on the existing candidates’ list are going to have their chances of being an MP greatly reduced but all the white male MPs on the Tory benches are as safe as houses with no form of regular assessment?
BJ: "The reselection of existing Conservative MPs is a matter for their constituency associations. The aim of the Priority List is not merely to increase the representation of women, people with disabilities and people from black and minority ethnic communities within the new intake of Conservative MPs after the next general election. By broadening the pool from which talent is drawn, selection will inevitably become more competitive because, overall, the quality of potential candidates will rise."
8. “How can we argue against quotas for police officers in the Commons if we are ensuring we have x number of gay people and y number of women as candidates at all time?”
BJ: "There are no quotas for the number the number of women or minority ethnic Conservative MPs, which will depend on how many gains we make and which seats we gain. This is not about quotas, but about the Conservative Party’s collective ability to represent our society effectively. This reflects our support for the principle of sexual and racial equality legislation in Parliament.
How can anyone justify the present imbalance that currently exists in the Parliamentary Conservative Party in which 9 out of 10 Conservative MPs are male and white? Women make up just 9 per cent of the Conservative Parliamentary Party. In the Labour Party it is 28 per cent. We have just 2 black and minority ethnic MPs. Unless we broaden our representation in Parliament to reflect better the country we aspire to govern we will continue to be electorally disadvantaged. White men do not have a 90 per cent monopoly on the qualities required to become a Conservative MP! We are missing out on a great deal of talent from women and others."
9. Do you support financial bursaries for lower income candidates?
(As proposed on this site by Robert H Halfon).
BJ: "This is an idea under consideration."
10. Would you support the idea of a candidates’ development programme/ academy whereby the youngest and best members of the party received specialist help in developing their skills and knowledge so that they can be excellent candidates at future elections?
(As proposed on this site by Andrew Woodman).
BJ: "David Cameron has set out his objectives for mentoring the brightest and best candidates from all backgrounds and all walks of life. Training those with talent is extremely important but we must make sure that we do not create a restricted political class from which the Party draws candidates in the future. The opportunity must exist for all with talent who share our Conservative values to be candidates, even if they join the Party at a relatively late stage in their life (e.g. for work reasons)."
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10.32am update: See eighth comment below for Bernard Jenkin's commitment to welcome candidates from outside of London...