ConservativeHome's Seats & Candidates blog

Royston Smith selected for Southampton Itchen

Royston Smith, Deputy Leader of Southampton City Council, was selected for Southampton Itchen last night out of a 50/50 male/female final shortlist. He wasn't able to apply at the last election because he wasn't on the approved list.

The Conservatives took the council in May and he faces a notional parliamentary Labour majority of over 8000.

Ian Galletley selected for Stockton North

This morning Stockton North members chose Ian Galletley as their candidate.  Ian is a Darlington Councillor, Teesdale Mercury columnist, schools inspector, and former Area Chairman.

Labour's Frank Cook has a notional majority of over 12000.

Huw Merriman selected for N E Derbyshire

Huw Merriman, a Wealden councillor, faces a projected Labour majority of 9,093.

(This was one we missed from last week).

The 'EPP declaration' that MEP candidates must sign

Further to last week's posting on MEP selection procedures, this is the declaration that MEP wannabes will have to sign:

"I ……………………….. hereby agree that if I am elected, I will respect the agreement made by David Cameron and Mirek Topolanek in July 2006,  “that at the commencement of the next legislature period of the European Parliament, following the elections in 2009 our delegations will establish a new parliamentary group, which other like-minded parties will be invited to join”,  and that I will become a member of whichever political Group in the European Parliament is decided upon by the Party Leader, in consultation with the Leader of the Conservative MEPs, after the 2009 European elections."

One MEP told me that they thought the declaration needed to be tighter.  They worried that "new parliamentary group" could refer to a reformed EPP and only slightly reformed at that.

Download a PDF of the full advert for European selection.

Ian Cuthbert selected for Washington & Sunderland West

The Sunderland Echo reports the selection of local councillor Ian Cuthbert.

Labour's Fraser Kemp has over a 15000 majority.

Bob Dalrymple selected for Stirling

Bob Dalrymple, a whisky marketeer, has been selected for the Scottish seat of Stirling. One of the more winnable seats in Scotland, it has a Labour majority of under 5000.

He said:

"I am thrilled and honoured to be fighting Stirling.  When Gordon Brown finally plucks up the courage to call an election, he will find that people want a change.  As the government lurches from crisis to crisis, the Conservatives are showing that we are a government-in-waiting.  I have high hopes of returning this seat to the Conservative fold."

Jeremy Moulton selected for Southampton Test

Local Councillor Jeremy Moulton has just been selected for Southampton Test.

The seat has a notional Labour majority of 7500.

Jeremy's statement:

"I am thrilled to be selected as the candidate for my home seat. Because I am local I understand the issues that we face in the city and when I meet people on the doorstep I do understand their concerns, because they are the same things that affect me. Southampton is my home town, where I grew up and so I really do care about the area and I will always campaign positively to make it a better place."

Elly Jupp selected for Hayes and Harlington

Elly Jupp has been adopted for Hayes and Harlington.  The seat has a projected Labour majority of 10,654.

Richard Normington selected for Cambridge

Richard Normington has been selected for the LibDem-held seat of Cambridge.  The LibDems have a projected majority of 5,058 over second-placed Labour.  Richard used to run the international relations department at Conservative Central Office.

MEP selection timetable - no automatic top slot for women?

The exact process for selecting MEP candidates has been announced today:

• Seat advertisements will be sent out on Monday once sitting MEPs advise CCHQ of their intentions, with the deadline for returning CVs on Friday 4th January
• People can apply for two different regions, but only go through to the postal ballot of one of them.
• The bizarre rule that campaigning or soliciting of votes is prohibited, is reiterated.
• The first meeting of the Regional Selection Colleges will approve the reselection of sitting MEPs by a secret ballot, and decide on how many other applicants to see.
• Three women have to be seen for interviews, and in total no less than the twice the number of people than vacant slots.
• The second meeting will choose which new applicants and MEPs who weren't automatically approved should be ranked by the postal ballot, the two highest ranked women definitely will.
• Earlier this year it was said that "the highest ranked woman, after incumbent candidates, will take the next most winnable position", but while that does apply to the slots of retiring MEPs there is no mention of this here. If this means that women are going to be helped into getting to the members' ballot but aren't going to get compulsory top slots than that is very welcome and avoids a lot of resentment.

4.30pm update: John Strafford isn't impressed:

"This is control freakery gone mad. It must be the most undemocratic election ever held by the Conservative Party. Party members are being treated with the utmost contempt. Is it any wonder that membership continues to plummet? Soon there will not be any members left, and the control freaks will no longer have to go through the charade of democracy within the Conservative Party."

Jason Hadden selected for Croydon North

Jason Hadden was selected last night.

The seat has a notional Labour majority of over 14000.

Is CCHQ renewing efforts to promote A-listers?

The selection procedure for North East Cambridgeshire is again raising questions about the Party’s handling of the A List.

It seems that the seat was not advertised to people outside the Priority List. In a major - and unpublicised - break from previous practise, candidates from the general list only found out that the selection process was open by reading about it on this website.

Up to now, it has been the custom for the Candidates Department to contact all approved candidates, while underlining to non-A Listers that they had to prove a strong local affinity with the constituency.

The clear effect of this change is to stop people with local links from putting their names forward, to the benefit of the “approved” candidates.

In particular, there were four or five wider candidates who met the deadline we publicised. These did qualify as locals, and the Association wanted to interview them. However, they failed to meet yet another unbroadcast deadline, set by CCHQ just for local candidates. That deadline was the very day we ran the news about the selection being open.

One known casualty was Lee Rotherham. The author and Eurosceptic campaigner grew up in the Fens and has family there, but was blocked from interview - apparently despite previously informing Candidates of an interest in the seat.

ConservativeHome continues to hear stories of CCHQ calling local Associations and encouraging the selection of women candidates.  Associations are told that they'll receive regular visits from leading members of the shadow cabinet if they select women.  Chairmen with parliamentary ambitions of their own are given special treatment.

Some Associations - like NE Cambridgeshire - continue to bravely resist these 'encouragements'.  At the end of October the proportion of women selected was 30%.

Andrew Pelling 'chooses' not to stand at next election

The Croydon Advertiser has this exclusive:

"Andrew Pelling has told his party he does not want to stand at the next general election.  The Croydon Central MP was today (Monday) told he was no longer suspended by the Tory party.

But in a letter to his constituency party, he revealed he will not be seeking re-selection as a Conservative candidate.   His decision ends months of speculation since he was suspended from the Tory party in September after his 26-year-old wife, Lucy, told police he had assaulted her.

Mr Pelling, 48, told the local party in a letter: "This will bring to an end 28 years of representing Croydon constituents in political office.   "I and my Parliamentary office staff will be looking forward to giving the same high standard of service to constituents in the coming years, up to the general election, as we have given to date."   He adds: "It has been very rewarding to receive so many kind messages of support and thanks from constituents for the work that we have done for them over the past two years."

The letter was today delivered to Croydon Central constituency chairman, Councillor Richard Chatterjee. Cllr Chatterjee told the Advertiser: "We are not looking immediately for a replacement candidate. "The timing will be down to the national party."

The scandal first broke in September, after Lucy told police her husband had beaten her up.  Mr Pelling was arrested at his home in Croham Valley Road, South Croydon, and bailed to return to Croydon police station once officers had completed their investigations.  The Tory party also withdrew the whip from him, effectively suspending him from the party.

However, in October he was informed no charges would be pressed.  Since then, several sources have told the Advertiser the couple are on the brink of a reconciliation.  However, Mr Pelling has refused to speak out since his arrest.   He has also been notable by his absence at several public events, most notably Croydon's Remembrance Sunday service.  And he pulled out of going to the South Norwood Spirit of the Community festival just hours before he was due to open it on November 17.  His many absences have led to growing concerns about his health, which is believed to be one of the reasons why the Tory whips' office has been slow in coming to a decision on his future."

Six finalists for NE Cambridgeshire

• Steve Barclay
• James Brokenshire
• John Glen
• Rebecca Harris
• David Senior
• Jason Steen

The open primary final will take place on 19th January.  A long wait for the finalists.

Annesley Abercorn adopted for Hazel Grove

Pictured above with John Stanyer, Chairman of Hazel Grove Conservatives (and Elvis in the background).

Yesterday afternoon Annelsey Abercorn was adopted for Hazel Grove.  The seat has a projected LibDem majority of 7,723.  He beat Julian Lewis-Booth and Rob Adlard.  Annesley issued the following statement:

'I am immensely honoured and delighted that the membership of the Hazel Grove Conservative Party have put their faith in me and selected me as their Parliamentary Candidate. With the right energetic campaign, we can win this seat back for the Conservatives.   I would also like to pay tribute to the other candidates who will no doubt get selected soon and I wish them the best of luck.'"