The turnout in the all-postal Open Primary to select a new Conservative candidate in Totnes is 25% according to sources at the count.
This is way in excess of the 15% which Eric Pickles told me anything above which would be "quite a triumph".
"I'm tickled to death by the turnout," said the party chairman. "It just shows if you trust the folks, they will embrace the democratic process."
I'll post the result as soon as we have it.
12.50pm RESULT: Dr Sarah Wollaston selected as PPC for Totnes
The figures have just been announced as follows:
Sarah Wollaston - 7,914
Sara Randall Johnson - 5,495
Nick Bye - 3,088
(There were 73 spoilt papers and 69 which failed to include the declaration of identity)
There is a good profile of Sarah Wollaston, a 47-year old GP and mother-of-three, on the website of the local paper, the Herald Express.
Update:
After the result was announced, Eric Pickles made the following statement:
"This has been a great success for democracy. Today's turnout exceeded my wildest expectations and just shows that if you trust the people they embrace democracy. I believe Sarah Wollaston will be an excellent candidate championing the interests of the people of Totnes. I hope Totnes represents a new type of politics, which rejects negative campaigning, and sees openness as a way to restore confidence in public life. I hope over time that the primary process becomes a permanent fixture in British Politics."
I have written a short personal reflection in praise of the Open Primary process here on CentreRight.
Jonathan Isaby
