Caroll Forth, Eric's widow, is one of the surprise contenders for the
Bromley and Chislehurst by-election. Mrs Forth is pictured on the right with Eric at a June 2005 event hosted by Conservative Way Forward. Her name is revealed in today's
London Evening Standard (not online) after some good investigative reporting by Paul
Waugh. Other contenders named in the LES are:
- Colin Bloom, local councillor
- Stephen Carr, local councillor
- Michael Harris, chairman of association
- Syed Kamall, London MEP
- Mary Macleod, merchant banker
- Julia Manning, optometrist
- Bob Neill, leader of Tory group London Assembly
- Colin Smith, local councillor
ConservativeHome has been told that former MP Tim Collins is also on the shortlist and has now been told he isn't (14.40).
Mrs Forth - only approved by CCHQ's parliamentary selection process yesterday - leads a strongly localist shortlist. She joins three local councillors and the Association chairman as representatives of the immediate area. The Evening Standard writes:
"Widows have succeeded their husbands as MP very rarely over the past century and Tories believe it would be first instance in their own party. Labour's Anne Cryer took on her husband Bob's former Keighley seat three years after he died in 1994. Labour MP Irene Adams took on Paisley in a 1990 by-election after husband Allen died. Her election would also neatly get Mr Cameron another woman into Parliament, although not through the route he wanted. Mrs Forth is also disabled, suffering from a muscular disease."
"Mrs Forth's lack of campaigning experience makes her an outside bet," according to The Standard. Forecasting constituency selection meetings is no science but the newspaper identifies Bob Neill and Michael Harris as favourites.
Related link: A-list won't rule in Bromley & Chislehurst.
