ConservativeHome's Seats & Candidates blog

John Bercow calls for all-women and all-BME shortlists

"Central office can impose all-women or all-BME shortlists, or both and, instead of snail's pace progress, we can achieve dramatic change in a decade. We will all hear the same old lazy, sub-standard, neanderthal arguments – "it's wrong to discriminate", "we must not open parliament to the mediocre" or, wait for it, "it's no use selecting a woman if the local electorate won't vote for her" (as a Conservative lady observed to my horror at a party conference fringe meeting). In truth, for generations the selection process has discriminated against women and minorities, choosing instead to hand out jobs for life to mediocre men who went to the right school, spoke with the appropriate accent or were suitably well-heeled. As for the old canard about electability, there is not a scrap of evidence that women poll worse than men and, in fact, there is some evidence that they can poll better."

And if that wasn't bad enough he also thinks the Tories need our own Harriet Harman.

If you can stomach it, his full article is here.

Tim Montgomerie

Search for 100 Peers: Lurline Champagnie

Here is the latest nomination in our series highlighting people David Cameron should consider appointing to the House of Lords.

If you would like to nominate someone, please email Jonathan Isaby with your suggestion, ideally including key arguments for the nomination as well as biographical information. The sources of nominations will be treated confidentially where requested.

No. 26: Lurline Champagnie

Andrew Rosindell MP writes:

"It is my profound pleasure to recommend Councillor Lurline Champagnie for appointment to the House of Lords. Professionally and politically, Lurline has a pioneer track record of leadership, empowerment and success through hard work.

"She came to the UK from the West Indies in the 1950s, initially working as a secretary.  Seeking a caring profession, she undertook State Nursing Qualifications and had an extremely successful career of service to the NHS.  She won an International Nursing Scholarship to the USA and ran her own successful healthcare business.

"Lurline is an individual possessed of great energy, humour, strong opinion and iron-will. At her first Conservative Conference in October 1984, she raised the whole tone of the debate on the NHS with a rousing oratory and was a prominent helper of casualties at the Brighton Bombing that year.

"In 1985, she sprang to natural prominence in her conference speech in which she declared “I am Conservative, Black, British and proud of all three”.  This was picked up by national and international media and recorded for posterity.  She continued as a frequent speaker at Party Conferences, UK-Wide Events, TV debates including Question Time, and radio programmes including Any Questions.  She is known as a veteran of Conservative principles and is the only non-MP recorded in the BBC cassette of “Great Political Speakers”.

"Lurline began her political career when she was elected as a councillor of London Borough of Harrow, 1986.  It is a testament to her care for her constituents that she is re-elected with ever-increasing majorities and was the runner-up for Britain’s Mayor of the Year Award in 2005. She fought the Labour-held parliamentary seat of Islington North in 1992.

"Her politics is a shade of True Blue.  She is a loyal Conservative, patriot and common-sense politician.  Lurline has been vocal in her opposition to political correctness as a divisive force and advocated a new inclusive approach, ‘The Cosmopolitan Community’, during her nomination for the Mayor of London candidacy.  Her manifesto set out many other clear policies that no doubt influenced other candidates.  After the primary, she threw her full support behind Boris Johnson and was active in campaigning for him across the capital.

"Lurline is currently appointed to the Government Equalities Office as a BAME Taskforce member to encourage more minority women into politics and public life. She is one of the only two Tories on a Labour-dominated task force.

"It is common for us to appoint famous faces to the Upper House, but Lurline is a true public servant who I know will work tirelessly for our country.  She will bring her front-line experience of the NHS and small businesses together with her rare ability to connect with people from all walks of life.  These, and her trademark loyalty to the party, make her an ideal candidate for a peerage."

> Previous nomination: Simon Mort

Search for 100 Peers: Simon Mort

Here is the latest nomination in our series highlighting people David Cameron should consider appointing to the House of Lords.

If you would like to nominate someone, please email Jonathan Isaby with your suggestion, ideally including key arguments for the nomination as well as biographical information. The sources of nominations will be treated confidentially where requested.

No. 25: Simon Mort

Steve Bell writes:

"I would like to nominate Simon Mort for the following reasons.

"There are few who could have shown more loyal service and dedication to the Conservative party than Simon Mort. He has been part of the grassroots for over three decades and has held every voluntary appointment from Branch Chairman to President of the National Convention.

"He leads by example. He has integrity, intelligence, wisdom, boundless energy and he is not afraid to speak his mind. He served for four years on the Board in critical roles, at a time when the Party’s fortunes were turned around, and was Chairman of the notably successful Blackpool Conference.

"He has helped ensure that the Conservative message gets spread well beyond the meeting rooms of Whitehall. He has held party responsibilities in important regions from Lands End to Berwick-on-Tweed. Plus, he has a long and distinguished record within the Oxfordshire Conservatives, where he defended the Conservative Oxford City Council reputation during the 1990s, a difficult time for Party.

"He is a faithful proven fighter, an unsung hero should be given a voice in the Lords."

> Previous nomination: Stuart Wheeler

Search for 100 Peers: Stuart Wheeler

Here is the latest nomination in our series highlighting people David Cameron should consider appointing to the House of Lords.

If you would like to nominate someone, please email Jonathan Isaby with your suggestion, ideally including key arguments for the nomination as well as biographical information. The sources of nominations will be treated confidentially where requested.

No. 24: Stuart Wheeler

Daniel Hannan MEP writes:

"When Stuart Wheeler made the biggest ever single donation to the Conservative Party, he mentioned, en passant, that he would turn down a peerage if offered one.

"I’d say that attitude recommends him eloquently for the Upper House. Given what we now know of how Lords do business, the desire for a peerage ought in itself to disqualify someone from receiving one.

"As things stand, peerages tend to go to careful men, cautious men, men who wait until everyone else has spoken before they express a view. Stuart Wheeler, who made his money by popularising spread-betting, is a living antidote to timid careerism. He has a largeness of character, one aspect of which is his extraordinary generosity. While wealthy, he is by no means super-rich; yet he quietly supports a large number of charities, free-market think-tanks and Euro-sceptic pressure groups.

"Last year, he went to court over the Government’s abandonment of its promised referendum on the European Constitution Lisbon Treaty. Although his suit was eventually rejected, he succeeded in delaying British ratification until after the Irish referendum and, in so doing, helped secure Ireland’s “No” vote. Had he not won his application for a judicial review, the last three days of the Irish campaign would have been dominated by the news that even the Euro-sceptic Brits had accepted the treaty. The action was typical of its author: quixotic, patriotic and ultimately successful.

"Stuart Wheeler is a modest man, and he won’t thank me for brandishing putative honours at him. Like Caesar on the Lupercal, he will doubtless decline the coronet. But we should press it down upon his brow regardless, my friends. His country needs him."

> Previous nomination: Sir Graham Bright

Search for 100 Peers: Sir Graham Bright

Here is the latest nomination in our series highlighting people David Cameron should consider appointing to the House of Lords.

If you would like to nominate someone, please email Jonathan Isaby with your suggestion, ideally including key arguments for the nomination as well as biographical information. The sources of nominations will be treated confidentially where requested.

No. 23: Sir Graham Bright

A reader from Bedfordshire writes:

"I would like to nominate Sir Graham Bright because of his record of lengthy and loyal service to the Conservative Party, not to mention the wealth of experience he has as both a politician and businessman.

"Sir Graham served as a Borough and County Councillor in Essex between 1966 and 1979, before becoming an MP by gaining Luton East from Labour at the 1979 general election. After constituency boundary changes, he transferred to Luton South, where he served as an MP for a total of 18 years. He held a number of roles during his time in the Commons, notably as PPS to John Major between 1990 and 1994 and as a Vice-Chairman of the Party.

"Since leaving Parliament, Sir Graham has devoted countless hours of his time to the voluntary Party and currently serves as Eastern Region Chairman. This dedication and service alone merits a place in the House of Lords but when you add to it more than 30 years' experience in politics and a wealth of business experience, you can begin to understand why some would argue he should be in the Lords already.

"I am sure that those who do not know Sir Graham (and there cannot be many in our Party) would agree with this nomination based on his record alone. I for one would be glad to see him back in Parliament."

> Previous nomination: Don Porter

Roger Evans answers your questions about getting selected

On Saturday Roger Evans sought your 'getting selected questions'. He answers them below.

There were several interesting questions raised in response to my first on line selection surgery. Some of them were asked more than once, demonstrating that candidates often face the same problems – talking to each other is a big step towards resolving them.

Should I be truthful about my views? What if my chances may be harmed?

Handling questions about Heathrow expansion in a nearby constituency was one example. You should always be honest. If you make a promise to fight an important local campaign then betray it after you get selected, you are likely to have a very bad relationship with your volunteers, and probably get some bad publicity.

Another example was moving to the constituency. If you aren’t able to make the commitment you should be honest about it, or be prepared to be taken to task for your bad faith. Volunteers are unlikely to work with a dishonest candidate.

Having been straight with the selectors, you should go on to sweeten the pill by explaining your reasons, and how you plan to compensate for your decision. 

Should I take my same sex partner to the selection?

Yes, if they will help you to win! The days when candidates felt they had to present their other half for inspection are long gone, however a confident partner – of either sex – can help you cover more ground if you have to go through a ‘death by canapes’ meet the members event. Obviously you shouldn’t inflict this on your partner if they are uncomfortable with the prospect, or if they are likely to pick arguments. And there is no point in parading them on stage for the formal interview session.

The ConservativeHome Selection Surgery with Roger Evans

London Assembly Member Roger Evans provides coaching and advice to prospective candidates.  In this post he's seeking the questions you'd like him to answer on 'getting selected'.

"With the latest tranche of Parliamentary seats soon to be up for grabs, hopeful candidates will once again face the ordeal of constituency selection panels. Why will a few clear this hurdle seemingly without effort whilst many others struggle?

I have been coaching candidates on speech design and question handling at interviews, for over two years. Of around 25 people I have worked with, 18 have so far been successful in their quest for a seat and others have hugely improved their performance.

I help candidates to recognise common pitfalls, cut the waffle, build a rapport and ensure that their messages stick in the minds of selectors. Building confidence, standing out from the crowd and learning from mistakes are critical to success.

I recently provided some generic advice for councillors wanting to make the leap to Westminster, here on ConservativeHome. But I recognise that many candidates come from beyond local government, so now I’m offering to help out all comers. Ask me your toughest selection questions and I will give you my opinion and best advice on how to deal with them and win."

PLEASE LEAVE YOUR QUESTIONS IN THE THREAD BELOW AND ROGER WILL ANSWER THEM SOON.

Question ideas: How should I use humour? Should I ask for their votes and if so how? How much preparation do I need?

Search for 100 Peers: Don Porter

Here is the latest nomination in our series highlighting people David Cameron should consider appointing to the House of Lords.

If you would like to nominate someone, please email Jonathan Isaby with your suggestion, ideally including key arguments for the nomination as well as biographical information. The sources of nominations will be treated confidentially where requested.

No. 22: Don Porter CBE

Conor Burns writes:

"Someone seeking membership of either House of Parliament must have more than a passing interest in the political party they are seeking to serve.  One man who has a whole career of service to the party and has used it always to advance the cause of the party and not himself is Don Porter.

"First becoming involved as a YC in Macclesfield he was active at Lancaster University in the 1970s.  He has held almost every post possible in the voluntary party being a former Branch Treasurer, Association Treasurer and Chairman in Woking. He was a founded member of the South Eastern Area Training Team, a former Area Treasurer and Southern Region Coordinator.

"He was President of the National Conservative Convention until 2004 and chaired the Party Conference in 2003 in Blackpool. Since March 2006, he has been Chairman of the National Conservative Convention and Deputy Chairman of the Party. Don has always been a staunch advocate for the rights of the ordinary members of the party but has always made his arguments in private and without disloyalty.

"However, years of party service should not, these days, be merit alone to warrant a peerage. But Don combines real work for the party with a distinguished career in the private sector. He joined British Airways in 1977 as a management trainee and worked on establishing the airline's world wide customer service monitor, covering all parts of the business. Between 1983 and 1985, Don played a major role in the development of British Airways' company-wide Customer Service programme working closely with Sir Colin Marshall, the airline's Chief Executive. Following this role, Don was appointed to head up the airline's Sales and Marketing Training Department.

"Don joined Lloyds Bank in 1986 as Chief Manager, Corporate Communications. In 1988, Don co-founded MSB, a leading management consultancy in the areas of culture change, customer service and people development. He remains as Joint Managing Director today.

"Don Porter's service to the Conservative Party combined with his vast commercial experience would make him a huge asset to our team in the House of Lords and there would be no doubt that Don would be a proper 'working' peer in every sense of the word. He is also one of the most honest and decent people involved in politics."

I happily second everything Conor says above. Don would truly be an asset to the party in the Upper House.

Jonathan Isaby

> Previous nomination: Brian Walden

Search for 100 Peers: Brian Walden

Here is the latest nomination in our series highlighting people David Cameron should consider appointing to the House of Lords.

If you would like to nominate someone, please email Jonathan Isaby with your suggestion, ideally including key arguments for the nomination as well as biographical information. The sources of nominations will be treated confidentially where requested.

No. 21: Brian Walden

A reader from London writes:

"Brian Walden is best known to those old enough to remember Mrs Thatcher as PM as a (much less rude) Sir Robin Day or "Jeremy Paxman of the 1980s" as presenter of television's Weekend World. His political journey started as President of the Oxford Union and then as a 1964 freshman MP for an older New Labour Party, after Harold Wilson's "white heat of technology" rhetoric defeated 13 years of Conservative rule.

"Brian trailblazed the now common path of MP to media star and political realignment from the left to right. Weekend World on a Sunday lunchtime became THE television interview show for Cabinet Ministers and their Opposition numbers to pit their wits against Brian. His razor sharp questioning reached its zenith after the 1987 General Election when Cabinet Minister John Biffen's career visibly imploded in front of viewers' eyes when he suggested in one unguarded comment that Mrs Thatcher should be a bit less radical and "consolidate power": his political career never recovered.

"Unlike many modern politicians, Brian has also had a successful business career and is reputedly one of the few "grey-haired" figures whose opinions David Cameron genuinely values. As such, he has spoken at several away days for the shadow cabinet and Conservative MPs."

In February 2007, Mr Walden declared David Cameron to be "a superb leader" and that he "deserves" to win the next general election.

Jonathan Isaby

> Previous nomination: Professor Karol Sikora

Search for 100 Peers: Professor Karol Sikora

Here is the latest nomination in our series highlighting people David Cameron should consider appointing to the House of Lords.

If you would like to nominate someone, please email Jonathan Isaby with your suggestion, ideally including key arguments for the nomination as well as biographical information. The sources of nominations will be treated confidentially where requested.

No. 20: Professor Karol Sikora

Simon Chapman writes:

"I nominate Professor Karol Sikora, a cancer specialist and indefatigable advocate for healthcare reform. He would provide welcome radicalism in an area of policy where the party looks just a little timid.”

"He’s got immense experience, his commitment to patient care cannot be questioned, and he is a well-informed and consistent advocate of the need for wholesale reform of healthcare delivery."

Professor Sikora is a member of the steering committee of Doctors for Reform and, as the details on his own website demonstrate, has a wealth of experience in his field. He is currently Medical Director of CancerPartnersUK, Professor of Cancer Medicine and honorary Consultant Oncologist at Imperial College School of Medicine, Scientific Director of Medical Solutions Plc and was recently appointed Dean of Britain’s first independent Medical School at the University of Buckingham.

Jonathan Isaby

> Previous nomination: Sir Kenneth Bloomfield

Search for 100 Peers: Sir Kenneth Bloomfield

Here is the latest nomination in our series highlighting people David Cameron should consider appointing to the House of Lords.

If you would like to nominate someone, please email Jonathan Isaby with your suggestion, ideally including key arguments for the nomination as well as biographical information. The sources of nominations will be treated confidentially where requested.

No. 19: Sir Kenneth Bloomfield

A reader from Cambridgeshire writes:

"If David Cameron is keen to see more Conservatives - or at least Conservative-minded people - from Northern Ireland in Parliament, even in the Lords, then he should not overlook Sir Kenneth Bloomfield.

"It is surprising that he is not in the Lords already: a former Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, Sir Ken has been intimately involved in the politics of the province since the 1960s, and he has also served as Victims Commissioner and as a Governor of the BBC.

"Although now in his seventies, Sir Ken has recently become one of the greatest champions of the grammar school system in Northern Ireland, assuming the role of one-man opposition to the excesses of the Executive.

"That might work against him in the eyes of the present Conservative leadership, and Sir Ken would probably not regard himself as a Tory, but he stands for good common sense - something which all Conservatives should appreciate."

As a former senior civil servant, it is indeed unlikely that Sir Kenneth would take the Conservative whip, but there have always been Cross-benchers sympathetic to a Conservative worldview and as such we are happy to include such individuals in this series.

Jonathan Isaby

> Yesterday's nomination: Sir Desmond de Silva QC

Search for 100 Peers: Sir Desmond de Silva QC

Here is the latest nomination in our series highlighting people David Cameron should consider appointing to the House of Lords.

If you would like to nominate someone, please email Jonathan Isaby with your suggestion, ideally including key arguments for the nomination as well as biographical information. The sources of nominations will be treated confidentially where requested.

No. 18: Sir Desmond de Silva QC

Conor Burns writes:

"As a chamber of Parliament suited to allowing people from outside politics to make a contribution, I can think of few individuals more qualified to serve as a Member of the House of Lords.

"Sir Desmond de Silva QC was knighted in 2007 for services to international law, having been the first person from the UK to have been appointed by the Secretary General of the United Nations to head up an international criminal tribunal.  In this role he carried the rank of Under Secretary General of the UN.

"Originally from Sri Lanka, Sir Desmond was the first Asian Queen's Counsel in England and has been head of his Chambers for 23 years.

"Despite his vast experience beyond politics, Sir Desmond held elected office from 1980 to 1995 serving on the Corporation of London and has been involved in the party in the past through the Centre for Policy Studies and the Bow Group.

"A loyal Conservative who has excelled in his profession, Sir Desmond would be a distinguished contributor to the debates in the Lords, not least on international law, post-conflict resolution and on David Cameron's pledge to introduce a Bill of Rights."

> Yesterday's nomination: Tony Caplin

Search for 100 Peers: Tony Caplin

Here is the latest nomination in our series highlighting people David Cameron should consider appointing to the House of Lords.

If you would like to nominate someone, please email Jonathan Isaby with your suggestion, ideally including key arguments for the nomination as well as biographical information. The sources of nominations will be treated confidentially where requested.

No. 17: Tony Caplin

A reader from London writes:

"Tony Caplin is a business turnaround expert, well known in the City, who has given a significant amount of his time in support of the public sector and the Conservative Party over recent years.  He was appointed Chairman of the investment bank, Panmure Gordon, in May 2008, having served on the Board as a non-executive director for a number of years. He has helped numerous companies on the road to success and has also held a number of senior management positions with Manchester News Ltd and Pacific Telesis, amongst others.

"He worked for Sir Ian MacGregor at First City Bank, of which time he once remarked: "Sir Ian suggested we do turnaround, workouts, and difficult situations. With Sir Ian as Chairman and I as Chief Executive we tried to save small pieces of corporate UK."  In the current economic climate, his skills have an obvious appeal.

"He is currently chairman of North West London Hospitals NHS Trust and previously held the same role at Ealing, which became one of the most improved hospitals in the country under his leadership.

"Prior to the last election, Tony worked tirelessly to put together the team which delivered the James Review identifying government waste, exhibiting the energy levels which led Sir Ian to once remark: "Tony, when everyone else has fallen down, you are always still standing."  Shortly after the election, Tony voluntarily served in CCHQ as a senior advisor to the Party Chairman, drawing on his network to bring in professional financial and HR leadership, and drive corporate disciplines into the organisation.

"While another specific programme of efficiency savings is not currently in vogue, his political, public and private sector experience in government, not to mention his drive and determination to fix our broken economy, would be invaluable to the upper House."

> Yesterday's nomination: Matthew Parris

Selection processes begins for 21 more seats

Closing date for applications is midday on Friday 30th January.

1. Arfon
2. Batley and Spen
3. Bethnal Green and Bow
4. Birkenhead
5. Bishop Auckland
6. Brent Central
7. Cardiff Central
8. Carmarthen East and Dinefwr
9. Ceredigion
10. Dewsbury
11. Dwyfor Meirionnydd
12. Easington
13. Holborn and St Pancras
14. Hornsey and Wood Green
15. Huddersfield
16. Llanelli
17. Morley and Outwood
18. Rother Valley
19. Sedgefield
20. South Shields
21. Tottenham

Charlotte's Leslie's Diary of a Tory candidate

It may not be for a Kaka-sized fee but our candidate for Bristol North West has defected from The Guardian's blog to start blogging for The Daily Mail's new Debate blog.  You can read her 'Diary of a Tory candidate' here.  We've already bookmarked it at ConHome Towers.

Search for 100 Peers: Matthew Parris

Here is the latest nomination in our series highlighting people David Cameron should consider appointing to the House of Lords.

If you would like to nominate someone, please email Jonathan Isaby with your suggestion, ideally including key arguments for the nomination as well as biographical information. The sources of nominations will be treated confidentially where requested.

No. 16: Matthew Parris

Stephen Warwick writes:

"I would like to offer what I believe to believe an ideal candidate for selection as a true working peer and intellectual heavyweight: Times columnist, Matthew Parris.

"Like many people, I love reading Matthew Parris's columns and find him to be the incisive and balanced voice of 'natural conservatism' (aka common sense) and he is true testament that all the great wits in politics are generally Tories.

"Cambridge and Yale educated, he would bring genuine forensic analysis of legislative issues coupled with a real capability in getting to the nub of the problem.

"On the debit side of the ledger, would cyclist David Cameron nominate someone who advocated in his December 2007 column that: 'A festive custom we could do worse than foster would be stringing piano wire across country lanes to decapitate cyclists'?

"I advocate Matthew Parris for this surely much deserved honour purely as a loyal and avid reader of many years standing. And just for the record, I can confirm that I do not know or have any connection with the future Lord Parris (of High Peak and Catalunya perhaps!)."

Although now best known for his journalism, Matthew Parris was of course a Conservative MP between 1979 and 1986, having worked for Margaret Thatcher when she was Leader of the Opposition.  I should also add that he apologised for any offence caused by the remark about cyclists!

Jonathan Isaby

> Yesterday's nomination: Sir Simon Milton

Search for 100 Peers: Sir Simon Milton

Here is the latest nomination in our series highlighting people David Cameron should consider appointing to the House of Lords.

If you would like to nominate someone, please email Jonathan Isaby with your suggestion, ideally including key arguments for the nomination as well as biographical information. The sources of nominations will be treated confidentially where requested.

No. 15: Sir Simon Milton

A reader from London writes:

"If you ask anyone across the political spectrum who they would nominate as THE outstanding local government leader in living memory, one name comes up time and time again: Simon Milton.

"In twenty years on Westminster City Council he overcame the Private Eye magazine label of being one of Dame Shirley Porter's "boot boys" during the "Homes for Votes" scandal to develop - during nearly a decade as the council's leader - a genuine vision for City Government in the 21st Century.

"Simon has never been an ideological figure. Although originally from the Right, as a council leader he was very much a One Nation Tory and was famously quoted as saying "there is little difference between running Newham or Westminster". He pragmatically reminded more Right-wing colleagues that local government was about providing excellent public services within the framework of the then prevailing New Labour hegemony and not simply slashing taxes. He is reputedly a favourite figure of both the former Deputy PM John Prescott (who may have been behind his knighthood) and Gordon Brown - as well as David Cameron.

"In autumn 2007 he joined the "Back Boris" campaign as a senior adviser and was rewarded in May 2008 with his appointment as a Mayoral adviser (resigning as a Westminster Councillor) and then Deputy Mayor. Within weeks he showed his political clout by out-manoeuvring the alleged "power hungry" Chief of Staff to the Mayor, Tim Parker.

"A former chairman of the Local Government Association to boot, he would be an excellent addition to the Conservative benches in the House of Lords."

> Yesterday's nomination: Andrew Roberts

Craig Piper selected for Caerphilly

30-year-old Craig Piper was selected on Monday night to fight Caerphilly at the next general election.

Craig grew up in Devon where he joined the party aged 17, but for the last eight years he has lived in Cardiff. He works in training and development for the Lloyds TSB Group but has also been a councillor in Cardiff since 2004, representing the Llanishen ward. He contested Cardiff Central at the 2003 Welsh Assembly election, but this is the first time he as stood for Parliament - indeed this was the first seat he applied for.

Caerphilly has elected a Labour MP at every election since the seat was created in 1918. The current incumbent is Wales Office minister Wayne David, who has represented the seat since Ron Davies stepped down in 2001. Labour's majority at the 2005 election was 15,359, although boundary changes will shave a couple of thousand votes off that in terms of the notional majority that he will have to defend. As such, Craig would require a swing to the Tories from Labour of a little over 20% to take the seat from third place.

Search for 100 Peers: Andrew Roberts

Here is the latest nomination in our series highlighting people David Cameron should consider appointing to the House of Lords.

If you would like to nominate someone, please email Jonathan Isaby with your suggestion, ideally including key arguments for the nomination as well as biographical information. The sources of nominations will be treated confidentially where requested.

No. 14: Andrew Roberts

Paul Oakley writes:

"Expelled from Cranleigh for vandalism, Andrew Roberts went on to become an honorary senior scholar at Gonville and Caius College. He experienced the real world of corporate finance before writing acclaimed biographies of Halifax and Salisbury. An enthusiastic Churchillian, his recent researches in the Cambridge Archives disclosed unconsidered War Cabinet documents which give new insights to the challenges of 1941.

"He has pointed out that the Empire was not, overall, a Bad Thing and is thus attacked by the left as a revisionist. Nevertheless, he has been unflinchingly critical of its failures, his devastating critique of Mountbatten's partition of India being the prime example.

"A trustee of the Margaret Thatcher Archive Trust, member of The Freedom Association Council and supporter of the Bruges Group, he would be a worthy successor to Lord Blake.

"I shall instruct him to write my biography in due course."

If understanding the past helps us to understand the present and future, then having an historian like Andrew Roberts in the Lords would only serve to improve the quality of debate and discussion in the Upper House. It shoud also be noted that he chaired the Conservative Party's Advisory Panel on the Teaching of History in Schools in 2005.

Jonathan Isaby

> Yesterday's nomination: Simon Wolfson

Search for 100 Peers: Simon Wolfson

Here is the latest nomination in our series highlighting people David Cameron should consider appointing to the House of Lords.

If you would like to nominate someone, please email Jonathan Isaby with your suggestion, ideally including key arguments for the nomination as well as biographical information. The sources of nominations will be treated confidentially where requested.

No. 13: Simon Wolfson

Biodun writes:

"Simon Wolfson’s superb media performances in the last six months, most notably on Question Time, have shown him to be a clever, well-informed and gifted communicator.

"In 2001, aged 33, he became the youngest chief executive of a FTSE 100 company at Next.

"Apart from his wealth of experience as a businessman, he is also a committed campaigner against unnecessary EU regulation and was one of those who spearheaded the “Vote No” Campaign against the European Constitution which sponsored much of the lobbying that resulted in the Irish “No” against the Lisbon Treaty last year.

"He was a donor to David Cameron's leadership campaign and co-chaired the Economic Competitiveness Policy Group with John Redwood. Their findings informed George Osborne’s inheritance tax announcement during conference in 2007 - the one that ended the Brown bounce and left Labour trailing us in the polls.

"I would be glad to see him join his father and his cousin, Lords Wolfson of Sunningdale and Marylebone respectively on the Conservative benches in the House of Lords."

> Yesterday's nomination: Sir Tim Rice

The 45 Tory MPs most likely to retire before the next General Election

As we enter what is, at most, the final 18 months of this Parliament, people are increasingly wondering if any more sitting Conservative MPs are likely to retire in advance of the next election and create a vacancy in a safe seat. It was reported in October 2006 that two thirds of the party's oldest MPs intended standing again.

As of today, the following 14 MPs elected as Conservatives have had new Conservative PPCs selected in their place:

Peter Atkinson - Hexham - - > Guy Opperman
Tim Boswell - Daventry - - > Chris Heaton-Harris MEP
Angela Browning - Tiverton and Honiton - - > Neil Parish MEP
Sir John Butterfill - Bournemouth West - - > Conor Burns
Derek Conway - Old Bexley and Sidcup - - > James Brokenshire MP
Quentin Davies  - Grantham and Stamford - - > Nicholas Boles
Michael Jack - Fylde - - > Mark Menzies
Michael Howard - Folkestone and Hythe - - > Damian Collins
Michael Mates - Hampshire East - - > Damian Hinds
Malcolm Moss - Cambridgeshire North East - - > Steve Barclay
Andrew Pelling - Croydon Central - - > Gavin Barwell
Sir Michael Spicer - Worcestershire West - - > Harriett Baldwin
Bob Spink - Castle Point - - > Rebecca Harris
Ann Widdecombe - Maidstone and the Weald - - > Helen Grant

(NB Additionally, there is Ryedale MP John Greenway who has been left seatless, having lost out in the race with Anne McIntosh for the newly drawn Thirsk and Malton seat)

So who else might step down?

Search for 100 Peers: Sir Tim Rice

Here is the latest nomination in our series highlighting people David Cameron should consider appointing to the House of Lords.

If you would like to nominate someone, please email Jonathan Isaby with your suggestion, ideally including key arguments for the nomination as well as biographical information. The sources of nominations will be treated confidentially where requested.

No. 12: Sir Tim Rice

One man whom I have long thought would be great to have in the House of Lords is the lyricist, author and all-round good egg, Sir Tim Rice.

In 1997 his regular songwriting partner, Andrew Lloyd Webber, was appointed a Conservative peer - although he has not been the most regular of contributors in the Lords and has since distanced himself from the Tories. "It's hilarious that people think of me as aligned with Conservatives and Conservative peers," Lord Lloyd-Webber told the Daily Telegraph on 26th May 2007. "The fact is that I've voted for this Government more than I ever have the Conservatives."

Sir Tim, on the other hand, is a dyed-in-the-wool Conservative who was for many years an active President of his local Conservative Association in Richmond Park.

He has previously joked that his "Neanderthal views" put him out of kilter with David Cameron's Conservative Party. "There are far more votes to be gained from stern disapproval of global warming and renewing my massive subscription to the NHS than in escape from Europe and tax cuts," he wrote in The Spectator in February 2007.

But as far as I'm concerned, he is a Great British success story who would have much to contribute to the Upper House, and not just in the fields of culture, the arts, media and sport, where his expertise lies.

Jonathan Isaby

> Yesterday's nomination: Andy Street

Tory-UUP Alliance to seek broad range of candidates in it for the long term

High on the agenda for the Conservative-UUP joint committee announced earlier this month is to agree on how to go about selecting candidates.

And there are some early pointers as to how this is going to be done in an interview given by Owen Paterson, shadow Northern Ireland Secretary, and Marion Little, the Conservatives' "UK Battleground Director", to Mick Fealty on Slugger O'Toole over the weekend.

Mick Fealty reports that those seeking to become candidates for Ulster's 18 Westminster seats will be subject to a Parliamentary Assessment Board - presumably along similar lines to that which already exists for Conservative candidates in England, Wales and Scotland. He goes on to state that the party is especially keen not only to get more women standing in the province, but also to demonstrate its embracing of a new kind of politics by recruiting candidates from the Catholic community as well.

Marion Little emphasised this to Fealty, setting it in the context of the aim to change politics in Northern Ireland, which will not happen overnight.

“This is not about one election. We need candidates who will speak to all parts of society. We’ve seen success in England come over two election cycles from candidates who were prepared to get down and connect with people outside traditional Conservative voting communities”.

In other words, the party does not want to over-egg expectations for the election that will take place within 18 months. However, there would seem to be an unspoken understanding that those looking to stand at the next election will be expected to stick at it for the election after that, which could well mean a commitment to be a candidate for five or even six years.

Jonathan Isaby

Search for 100 Peers: Andy Street

Here is the latest nomination in our series highlighting people David Cameron should consider appointing to the House of Lords.

If you would like to nominate someone, please email Jonathan Isaby with your suggestion, ideally including key arguments for the nomination as well as biographical information. The sources of nominations will be treated confidentially where requested.

No. 11: Andy Street

A reader writes:

"Andy Street read PPE at Oxford, where he was President of the Oxford University Conservative Association, but unlike many who then went straight into politics, he has had a real and successful life outside.

"
After leaving Oxford, he joined the John Lewis Partnership as a graduate trainee and has now risen to become Managing Director of this successful multi-billion pound retail group - the only retailer currently to be gaining market share in a recession.




"From around 16 until the age of 40 he worked with Birmingham Young Volunteers (BYV) taking, each year, deprived children nominated by Birmingham Social Services to Wales for adventure camps. He eventually became Chairman of BYV.



"Meanwhile, to keep fit, he drops Conservative leaflets in local elections to all the homes in his village and at the 1992 general election, he was unpaid agent to Damian Green in Brent East.

"Andy Street is the sort of successful and dynamic person our party needs in the Lords."

> Yesterday's nomination: Bob Edmiston

Search for 100 Peers: Robert Edmiston

Here is the latest nomination in our series highlighting people David Cameron should consider appointing to the House of Lords.

If you would like to nominate someone, please email Jonathan Isaby with your suggestion, ideally including key arguments for the nomination as well as biographical information. The sources of nominations will be treated confidentially where requested.

No. 10: Robert Edmiston

A reader from the West Midlands writes:

"I would nominate philanthropist and businessman, Robert "Bob" Edmiston, who was nominated for a peerage by Michael Howard. Unfortunately he became a victim of Downing Street's tit for tat response to the cash-for-honours enquiry. It is high time that Mr Edmiston was ennobled as he has so much to offer the Conservative Party from the House of Lords.

"Mr Edmiston is Chairman of IM Group - employing several hundred people - and the Midlands Industrial Council. However, the sums he has given to charity vastly outweigh anything he has given to the Conservatives. Mr Edmiston has already given in excess of £100m to charity (including Christian charities such as his own, Christian Vision) and, like Lord Ashcroft, has pledged to give the majority of his wealth to charity. He is an Academy sponsor. He has supported the Conservative Party vocally through thick and thin since the '70s. Now in his early sixties, he would be a regular attendee of the House of Lords as an active working Conservative peer. We need peers who will turn up and work hard - and that is precisely what Mr Edmiston would do."

> Yesterday's nomination: Frederick Forsyth

Iain Lindley selected for Worsley and Eccles South

Iain Lindley, 25, was last night selected to fight the newly drawn Worsley and Eccles South seat at the next general election.

Not only did University of York-educated Iain grow up in the constituency, but he lives there to this day and has represented the Walkden South ward on Salford council since 2004. He is Salford's Conservative representative on the Greater Manchester Fire Authority, the Opposition Spokesman on Planning, the Deputy Chairman of City of Salford Conservative Federation and also Chairman of the governors at a local primary school. He has a longstanding blog and also runs the Vote UK politics discussion site.

The seat covers half of the existing Worsley constituency and half of the current Eccles seat, both of which are currently represented by Labour MPs. The Labour MP for Worsley, Barbara Keeley, will be fighting the Worsley and Eccles South seat, where she will defend a notional Labour majority of 10,001 (based on the Rallings and Thrasher calculations) over the Conservatives, which means Iain requires a swing of 12.8% to gain the seat. However, it bodes well for Iain that the Conservatives were calculated to hold a lead of 12% over Labour across the new constituency at the 2008 local elections.

Iain said on his selection:

"It is a huge honour and privilege to have been selected as the Prospective Conservative MP for Worsley and Eccles South. The local communities which make up the new constituency have been badly let down by the Labour Party both locally and nationally - the resounding defeat last month of Labour's Congestion Charge is just the latest example of how out-of-touch Labour have become from the concerns of residents.

"The Conservative Party has made huge strides throughout the City of Salford over the last few years. Worsley & Eccles South is a seat that can be won and I look forward to the challenge of showing that the Conservative Party can provide the change that local residents from Little Hulton to Cadishead need and deserve".

Jonathan Isaby

Search for 100 Peers: Frederick Forsyth

Here is the latest nomination in our series highlighting people David Cameron should consider appointing to the House of Lords.

If you would like to nominate someone, please email Jonathan Isaby with your suggestion, ideally including key arguments for the nomination as well as biographical information. The sources of nominations will be treated confidentially where requested.

No. 9: Frederick Forsyth

William Kemp writes:

"I would like to nominate the author Frederick Forsyth as a suitable candidate for ennoblement. Leaving aside his literary qualities, he is an intelligent and extremely knowledgeable commentator - especially on foreign affairs and security matters - and his media appearances show a wide knowledge of many other policy areas.

"He served in the RAF and worked as a journalist before embarking on his career as an author. He is a Patron of the Young Britons Foundation, was a supporter of David Davis in the 2005 leadership election and was given the 'One of Us' Award by Conservative Way Forward in 2003.

"He has made several appearances on Question Time and This Week espousing 'conservative' views with a vigour and flair which would be a welcome addition to the House of Lords. I imagine he would also have an independent streak, but this should not disbar him from consideration (I cannot see him as a Minister but as more of a 'maverick backbencher'). I would imagine the main problem would be whether he would have the inclination to do the job or the time to devote to it, but in my view he would be an excellent peer of the realm."

> Yesterday's nomination: Algy Cluff

Search for 100 peers: Algy Cluff

Here is the latest nomination in our series highlighting people David Cameron should consider appointing to the House of Lords.

If you would like to nominate someone, please email Jonathan Isaby with your suggestion, ideally including key arguments for the nomination as well as biographical information. The sources of nominations will be treated confidentially where requested.

No. 8: Algy Cluff

A reader from Kent writes:

"Algy Cluff is the sort of pioneering entrepreneur who puts the "Great" into Great Britain.  He served as an officer in the Grenadier Guards and while on active war service, he spotted the opportunity of Malaysian plantation companies' real estate prior to the expansion of Kuala Lumpur. That was his first great business fortune.  Since then, he has gone onto a career in resources spanning more than 40 years in oil and metals and has run four different natural resources companies, the first of which was in North Sea oil. He started Cluff Oil in the 1970s, bidding for 12 North Sea exploration blocks expecting to win one - but gained all 12! . He then moved on in the early 1980s to mining in Africa with Cluff Resources. The result was that he opened up Tanzania to gold production. Next he launched Cluff Mining, specialising in platinum projects in South Africa and more recently he launched Cluff Gold, which he still runs.

"He's a strong Tory too.  In the 1980s, he owned The Spectator for four years and remained as chairman for 20 years. He stood as a Conservative Parliamentary candidate and is a former director of the Centre for Policy Studies. As a nation we really do need Algy's lifetime of business brilliance and understanding of so many nations in the Lords.  This man should not be made a peer just because of his achievements - although they are more than sufficient on their own - he should be made a Lord because of the contribution he can make to our public life from his wealth of experience."

> Yesterday's nomination: Ruth Lea

Jimmy Buchan selected for Banff and Buchan

The Scotsman reports that Jimmy Buchan, a skipper who was featured in the BBC series Trawlermen, has been selected as Conservative candidate for Banff and Buchan. It is the seat currently held at Westminster for the SNP by Alex Salmiond, but the Scottish First Minister is standing down to concentrate on his duties at Holyrood, where he represents the Gordon constituency.

Jimmy's prawn trawler, Amity II, is based at Peterhead in the Banff and Buchan constituency and he blogs about his work here.

He said on his selection:

"I am delighted to be selected and to have the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of very successful Conservative members of parliament in this constituency. I am looking forward to a vigorous campaign with only one goal – success. And I am sure the people of this constituency are looking forward to having a Conservative member of parliament again.

"I've always been a Conservative at heart. I wasn't educated at Eton and I don't have fancy degrees, but I do believe that hard work and decent skills are rewarded. The time is right for me to try and use my experience to represent people in my area."

The seat was last held by a Conservative in 1983 when it was won by Albert McQuarrie, but he lost to Salmond in 1987, who has represented it ever since. The SNP majority in 2005 was 11,837, meaning that Jimmy would require a swing of 16% to gain the seat. The SNP's new candidate is Eilidh Whiteford.

Search for 100 Peers: Ruth Lea

Here is the latest nomination in our series highlighting people David Cameron should consider appointing to the House of Lords.

If you would like to nominate someone, please email Jonathan Isaby with your suggestion, ideally including key arguments for the nomination as well as biographical information. The sources of nominations will be treated confidentially where requested.

No. 7: Ruth Lea

Cleethorpes Rock writes:

"I'd like to nominate Ruth Lea, former Head of Policy at the Institute of Directors and founder of the Global Vision Think Tank.  As well as a glittering business career and proven track record of leadership and achievement, Ruth has been a long-standing defender of conservative principles, sound money and small government.

"Ruth started out in the Civil Service, working at the Treasury, Department of Trade and Industry and the Central Statistical Office, before working as Chief Economist for Mitsubishi Bank and then as Chief UK Economist at Lehman Brothers (obviously in the bank's better days!)

"She then became Economics Editor at ITN before moving to the IoD and most recently Global Vision, a think tank aimed at maximising Britain's trade opportunities through an internationalist outlook, rather than a dogmatic obedience to the EU project.

"Ruth's experience in business, in the media and as a conservative academic make her ideally suited to a place in the Upper House, where she'll be particularly needed to sort out the inevitable economic mess left by Gordon Brown and to reintroduce 'sound money' principles to British Economic Policy, along with a global outlook on trade that can underpin the future success of the country in more than just the economic sphere.

"I'm sure than many ConHomers share my view that Baroness Lea of Finchley would be a great addition to our team".

> Yesterday's nomination: Rod Bluh