Debi Jones has been selected tonight to fight Sefton Central. She beat off close competition from three other Councillors from the region: Alf Doran, Adrian Owens and Andrew Stephenson
(the only A-lister). [ConservativeHome has now learnt that Debi is on the A-list top-up (1.30pm, 11/8)].
Party activists and members of the public, mostly elderly, packed out Crosby Civic Hall for what was the fourth open primary parliamentary selection to have ever been held (Eltham had one at the end of July). The process wasn't expensive, and advertising in the local press was in effect doubled by their coverage of the process.
Members of the public could read about the candidates and sign up to attend using a unique website, ChooseYourCandidate.com. On the night, the candidates' names were picked out of a hat to determine the order in which they were interviewed individually by Liam Fogarty. Each session lasted half an hour, and included five set questions from the audience. After three knock-out votes, Debi achieved the mandatory 50% of the vote.
Debi was the candidate for the similar seat of Crosby in 2005. Other than that she is best known for hosting the afternoon show on Radio Merseyside for five years, her local charity work, and for recently becoming a local Councillor with a big swing.
Rather than merely being re-selected internally, she can now say that she was selected by "the people" - in sharp contrast to the incumbent Labour MP who was initially selected from a centralised all-woman shortlist. This popular mandate should help in the new part of the constituency in which there are few remaining party members who would have had a say in a closed selection.
Deputy Editor