ConservativeHome's Seats & Candidates blog

Final two for Exeter

Eleanor Jupp (25) and Hannah Parker (33) are the two finalists for Exeter in the open primary scheduled for 15th March.  Labour's sitting MP Ben Bradshaw will be defending a projected majority of 9,208.

Any questions for John Maples?

John Maples MP, Deputy Conservative Chairman since last November, has agreed to take your questions on any area of his responsibility for the party's candidates.

Please use the thread below to post questions or email them to Tim Montgomerie, Editor of ConservativeHome.  Tim will then select a representative sample of questions and pass them to Mr Maples for answering.

Final four for Nuneaton

Samantha George, Julie Girling, Kulveer Ranger and Simon Rouse have been shortlisted for the Nuneaton primary on 9th March.  Nuneaton has a notional Labour majority of 3,843.

Thanks to 'WHS' for telling me that this news was posted yesterday on the excellent West Midlands Conservatives blog - a model for an open, inclusive party organisation.

Zac Goldsmith is star of final six for Richmond Park

Jonathan Isaby at The Telegraph has the final six for Richmond Park:

1. Zac Goldsmith
2. Melanie Hampton
3. Mimi Harker
4. Samantha Manning-Smith
5. Kulveer Ranger
6. Simon Walker.

It will be a tough seat to win.  LibDem MP Susan Kramer's projected majority will be 3,649.

Chris White reselected for Warwick & Leamington

Chris White was reselected for Warwick and Leamington last week. Chris, who was not on the priority list, brought the majority down from around 6000 to 200 at the last election. 

A new neighbouring constituency, Kenilworth and Southam, has been created which takes some of the Conservative wards away from Warwick. This puts lucky James Plaskitt's notional majority back up to 5000 so Chris has a fight on his hands.

If anyone is interested, he is the eleventh candidate of the XY chromosome to be selected in a row.

Deputy Editor

Warwickshire North shortlist

Philip Seccombe, Jo Barker and Daniel Byles have been shortlisted for Warwickshire North, which has a notional Labour majority of 6697.

The selection will be in the form of an open primary, held at Grimscote Hotel in Coleshill, on Thursday 8th March. Email Sandra Gillett to register.

Deputy Editor

Neil Parish MEP selected for Tiverton and Honiton

ConservativeHome congratulates Mr Parish (who won on the first ballot) and sends commiserations to the three unsuccessful finalists.

Final four for Tiverton and Honiton

The final four for Monday evening's Tiverton and Honiton final are Caroline Dineage, Vicky Ford, John Glen and Neil Parish MEP.

The four have progressed from a shortlist that also included Pam Chesters, Mark Fox, Fiona Kemp, Sara Randall-Johnson and Jason Steen.

Early frontrunner Edward Heathcoat-Amory did not make it to the final stages after giving what has been described to ConservativeHome as a "stumbling" and "nervous" performance.

Last November Angela Browning announced her decision to stand down at the next election  - her successor will inherit a projected Conservative majority of 9,193.

Clerical error cost party over £30,000 last year

ToryRadio has already picked this up but a clerical oversight at CCHQ meant that the annual fee for being on the candidates' list was not collected last year.  The cost to CCHQ was logo-sized; well over £30,000.

This is the text of the letter that has just been distributed to candidates:

"Dear XX,

Re: AACC Membership Payment

As you know we ask all candidates who join the approved list to pay an annual subscription to the AACC (Approved Association of Conservative Candidates) of £80. This money is used to help fund events for networking opportunities, subsidised training for you as well as covering day to day administrative and communication costs.

It appears we have no record of receiving payment from you in 2006 and so far in 2007. Fir this reason please would you kindly send in a cheque for the two years subscription to the value of £160 payable to "The Conservative Party" to the department.

If you believe you have paid for 2006 and/0r 2007 please contact the department providing details of payment which can then be checked against our account paperwork.

From January 2008 all payments will be managed by direct debit so I would be very grateful if you could kindly complete the enclosed form and also return this to the department. All direct debit payments will leave your account annually on or around 2nd January.

Yours sincerely
Gareth Fox
Head of Candidates."

Candidates will, of course, cough up.  One does wonder about CCHQ's internal systems, though.

Related link: David Cameron recently addressed some of ConservativeHome's concerns about the costs of candidacy.

Finalists for Colne Valley

Jason McCartney and Ben Jeffrey are the two finalists for Colne Valley (projected Labour majority 1,535) on 1st March.

Invalid voting set to save Sir Patrick Cormack

BBC is reporting that invalid voting at Sir Patrick Cormack's recent deselection means that the MP for South Staffordshire will have a second chance at convincing his executive to reaffirm him as their candidate for the next General Election.

This is how the Birmingham Post covers the developments:

"Mr Maude has written to the local party warning that the vote must be re-run. He said the attendance register did not appear to reflect an accurate record of those entitled to vote. It has also emerged that more ballot papers were cast than people were present.

The decision does not mean Sir Patrick is guaranteed to win reselection when the vote is held again, but the level of support he has received in recent days will have strengthened his position.

Fellow Staffordshire MP Michael Fabricant (Con Lichfield) urged party activists to "see sense" and re-select Sir Patrick.

Sir Patrick said: "I am extremely grateful to those members of the executive council who drew these matters to the attention of the Party Chairman, just as I am grateful for the overwhelming support I have received from constituents and colleagues in Parliament over this last difficult two weeks.""

Men chosen in last nine selections

The last nine Conservative Associations to adopt have all chosen men.  Fourteen of the most recent seventeen selections (since ConservativeHome last updated its rolling list) have been of men.  This run of selections has cut the proportion of women selected since the last General Election from 38.1% to 34.8%.  The proportion of women selected in this parliament before introduction of the A-list is now slightly greater again than since the A-list was introduced. 

The proportion of local or non-A-list candidates selected since the introduction of the A-list is also down, but only very slightly, to 46.3%.  This number may overstate the proportion of non-A-listers selected, however, as ConservativeHome no longer tracks membership of the still secret 'Priority List'.  There may be some A-listers who have been adopted but who have not been identified as such (although CCHQ normally tell me when I fail to do so!).

Paul Uppal's Friday evening victory in Wolverhampton SW does lift the proportion of ethnic minority candidates to  3.5%.

CCHQ had hoped that at least one of the two 'safe' seats where Tory MPs are retiring - Hampshire East and Tiverton and Honiton - would select a woman.  Hampshire East has already chosen Damian Hinds.  Neil Parish and Edward Heathcoat-Amory are the favourites to succeed Angela Browning in her Devon seat with its 11,051 majority.

Damian Hinds selected to succeed Michael Mates

ConservativeHome extends its warm congratulations to Damian Hinds who has been adopted as the Conservative candidate for Hampshire East to replace the retiring Michael Mates.  Damian Hinds beat Pam Chesters, Antonia Cox and Sam Gyimah (second-placed and just five votes behind) for the seat and its projected majority of 7,195.

3.30pm update on 19/2: Petersfield Post report on Damian's selection.

Paul Uppal selected for Wolverhampton SW

Paul Uppal was last night selected over Eddie Hughes and Giles Inglis-Jones to fight Labour's 2252 majority in Wolverhampton South West.

Paul (pictured right) is a Trustee of a large Sikh temple, and a Wolverhampton Wanderers season ticket holder.

Deputy Editor

Karl McCartney readopted for Lincoln

Karl McCartney has been readopted tonight as the Conservative candidate for Lincoln (projected Labour majority of 3,844).  Runner-up was Fiona Bulmer who - according to my impeccable source - put in a first class performance.

Final four for Hampshire East

The last four for East Hampshire are:

• Pam Chesters
• Antonia Cox
• Sam Gyimah
• Damian Hinds

Last night's selection was not without controversy.  Retiring MP Michael Mates attended and expressed his disappointment that the Chairman of the Association (who had stepped aside to allow an acting Chariman to preside over the selection) had not been invited for interview.  There has been talk of legal challenge to the selection process as a result but that now seems unlikely.

ConservativeHome has been in touch with about ten individuals involved in the selection process as candidates or local members and the consistent message has been that the process has sometimes been ugly with questioning going well beyond what might be thought of as hard but fair scrutiny.

Kingswood reselect Owen Inskip

Owen Inskip has been selected to re-fight the Bristol seat of Kingswood, it has a notional Labour majority of 6354.

Deputy Editor

Mark Clarke selected for Tooting

Mark Clarke, Chairman of Conservative Future, was the surprise winner at tonight's open primary. He went through on the first ballot, beating Lucy Allan and Melanie Hampton. The Labour majority of 5381 is feasibly surmountable considering the Conservative performance in the local council. Picture from The Vol Abroad's review of the night.

Deputy Editor

Sir Patrick Cormack deselected by Executive

As the Daily Mail is reporting Sir Patrick Cormack MP failed to be readopted as Tory candidate for South Staffordshire at last night's meeting of the Association Executive.

A ConservativeHome source says that Sir Patrick's speech to officers was disappointing.  In arguing his case for readoption he emphasised his ambition to be Father of the House and his hope to have a stab at standing for Commons Speaker.

The Chairman of the Association wrapped up the meeting quickly after the vote was announced.  Sir Patrick has the option of seeking to overturn the Executive's decision by a ballot of all local members (the route successfully chosen by James Gray following his recent difficulties) or to be fastracked through to the final four person stage of a new selection process.

ConservativeHome's source says that Sir Patrick did not take the vote well and refused to rule out standing as an independent conservative.

Five women and three men on final shortlist for Hampshire East

Final eight for Hampshire East:

1. Pam Chesters
2. Antonia Cox
3. John Glen
4. Sam Gyimah
5. Rebecca Harris
6. Damian Hinds
7. Katie Lindsay
8. Liz Truss.

Comments will only appear in the thread below after they have been approved by the Editor or Deputy Editor.  If you attempt to publish malicious comments we will ban your IP address and you will not be able to comment anywhere on the site.

Final three for Tooting

The shortlist of five has been whittled down to Lucy Allan, Mark Clarke and Melanie Hampton. The open primary selection is on Tuesday.

Deputy Editor

Telegraph names 19 of the 23 runners for Hampshire East

Jonathan Isaby has 19 of the suspected 23 candidates accepted by the plum seat of Hampshire East for the race to succeed Michael Mates:

1. "Tariq Ahmad - Contested Croydon North in 2005 and a Merton councillor
2. James Bethell - Contested Tooting in 2005
3. Conor Burns - Contested Eastleigh in 2001 and 2005
4. Pam Chesters - Contested Bristol West in 2001 and a former leader of Camden Tories
5. Antonia Cox - An investment banker turned journalist
6. Iain Dale - Contested Norfolk North in 2005 and ex-chief of staff to David Davis
7. Flick Drummond - Contested Southampton Itchen in 2005
8. Howard Flight - Former Arundel MP sacked by Michael Howard before the 2005 election
9. Vicky Ford - Contested Birmingham Northfield in 2005 and South Cambridgeshire councillor
10. Ian Gibb - Contested Warwickshire North in 2005 and an Ealing councillor
11. John Glen - Contested Plymouth Devonport in 2001 and ex-director of the Conservative Research Department
12. Zac Goldsmith - Editor of The Ecologist magazine and co-chairman of the Tory Quality of Life working group
13. Sam Gyimah - Chairman of the Bow Group
14. Lynne Hack - Councillor in Reigate and Banstead
15. Damian Hinds - Contested Stretford and Urmston in 2005 and former chairman of the Bow Group
16. Kwasi Kwarteng - Contested Brent East in 2005 and former chairman of the Bow Group
17. Melanie Mclean - Contested Islington South and Finsbury in 2005
18. Mark Menzies - Contested Selby in 2005 and Glasgow Govan in 2001
19. Elizabeth Truss - Contested Calder Valley in 2005, Hemsworth in 2001 and a Greenwich councillor."

National Awards for Campaigning Excellence

There was an inaugural awards ceremony in London last night to recognise the achievements of constituency Association officers in England and Wales who have ran effective local campaigns. The top national prizes went to:

1. Bassetlaw - trip for four activists to the United States

2. Bedford  - reception for Association hosted by David Cameron

3. Filton Bradley Stoke - reception for Association hosted by Francis Maude

The award for Membership Growth went to Horsham & Crawley. Newcastle Conservative Future and Rushcliffe Association were unawarded finalists.

Click continue to see who won the regional awards.

Deputy Editor

Three finalists for Wolverhampton SW

Eddie Hughes, Giles Inglis-Jones and Paul Uppal will contest the open primary final on 16th February.  For more see here.

Final five for Wolverhampton SW

The five finalists for Wolverhampton SW (projected Labour majority of 2,252):

• Kulveer Ranger
• Paul Uppal
• Christine Emmett
• Giles Inglis-Jones
• Cllr Eddie Hughes.

These are all A-listers.  I don't understand why there isn't a 50/50 men/women split.  Can anyone help me?

Tories need 6.9% swing to win next General Election

An analysis by Professors Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher of the University of Plymouth confirms that boundary changes will add 12 seats to the Tory tally and subtract seven from Labour's parliamentary representation.  But as BBC Online reports the Tories still have a mountain to climb in order to win the next General Election outright:

"The research suggests that [David Cameron's] party needs a swing of 6.9%, down from 7.4% on the current boundaries, to re-take power.  But, this is a larger swing than the Conservatives have managed since the war; Margaret Thatcher's famous victory in 1979 was achieved with a swing of 5.3%."

It will only take a 1% swing, however, to end Labour's majority.  This coming week ConservativeHome will be publishing your views on what the Tory leadership should do in the event of a hung parliament.

James Gray faces possible inquiry into his use of Commons expenses

James Gray may have won the confidence of local Tories in last Tuesday's ballot but the Mail on Sunday has not given up on unseating him.  In this morning's newspaper Simon Walters has reported that the Wiltshire North MP has used £60,000 from his Commons expenses to pay his estranged wife's 'maintenance.'

The Mail on Sunday notes that "campaigning Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker" has called for an investigation into Mr Gray's expenses by Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Sir Philip Mawer.

Mr Gray is sat on a projected majority of over 7,500 according to UK Polling Report and his seat is unlikely to be vulnerable to continuing adverse publicity.  The continuing saga is more likely to be concerning to Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones and his battle to win the neighbouring Chippenham seat and overturn a projected LibDem majority of 1,260.  Local media coverage may have turned some voters against the Tories in Wiltshire.