I've submitted a question on WebCameron which you might like to vote for...
"Throughout last year ConservativeHome examined the high cost of being a Conservative parliamentary candidate. We estimated that it costs an average £41,550 to become a Conservative MP.
That price tag must prevent many lower income candidates from being able to become Tory MPs and will frustrate your ambition to build a parliamentary party that is truly more representative of modern Britain. People with valuable experience of the public and voluntary sectors are particularly likely to be affected, as are those of a working-class northern background similar to my own. This costs issue has also recently been raised by Women2Win as something that deters some would-be female candidates.
ConservativeHome has come up with few ideas, such as reducing the costs of attending a Parliamentary Assessment Board, establishing an emergency access fund for candidates in crisis and appointing a ‘Candidate’s Protector’ to limit the demands on candidates from their Conservative Associations.
What action might you take in order to address this important issue of financial exclusion?"
Deputy Editor
