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."
