At the beginning of the year, I wrote about how the party would be seeking a broad range of candidates to stand in Northern Ireland under the joint Conservatve-UUP banner which saw Jim Nicholson elected at the European election.
Since then, new applicants to the candidates' list from Northern Ireland have been attending parliamentary assessments boards - including one held in Belfast itself - and the selection process continues apace.
A joint statement from the chairmen of the Northern Ireland Conservatives, Tim Lewis, and the Ulster Unionist Party, David Campbell, now indicates how the selections will proceed:
"The process for selection is one in which the memberships and constituency associations of both parties will play a key part. In accordance with the agreement reached between both parties, selections will run on a twin-track process. Both the Conservative Party and the Ulster Unionist Party will embark on procedures, in accordance with their own rules of selection, which will result in all Conservative and Ulster Unionist associations presenting a shortlist of one candidate each for consideration. The shortlist of candidates will be subject to the agreement of both Party Leaders. All successful candidates at this stage will be considered by the Joint Committee, which will determine the final list of the preferred candidates. Special meetings of the Ulster Unionist Executive and the Northern Ireland Conservative Area Council will then ratify all candidates."
In other words, each party will separately go through a process in each of the eighteen constituencies to select one person as its shortlisted nominee for that seat, with the Conservative and Ulster Unionist Joint Committee agreeing which eighteen of those 36 names will appear on the ballot papers (subject to each party's governing body approving that decision).
At the European election, Jim Nicholson topped the poll in five of the Westminster constituencies, which augurs well for the general election and, as previously stated, any MP elected under the Conservative and Ulster Unionist joint banner will take the Tory whip and be eligible to serve in a David Cameron Government.
I have long been excited about this deal with the UUP and look forward to being able to report news of candidates being selected over the coming weeks and months.
Jonathan Isaby
