ConservativeHome's Seats & Candidates blog

Join the Action Day in Oldham East and Saddleworth on Wednesday 8th December

By Jonathan Isaby

I recently wrote about how the Conservatives in Oldham East and Saddleworth are hard at work in expectation of a re-running of the general election contest in the constituency after judges ruled May's election void.

I now bring news that Emma Pidding is organising an Action Day in the constituency on behalf of the National Conservative Convention Officers for Wednesday 8th December.

She and the team of volunteers she is assembling wil be delivering a constituency-wide leaflet and would be delighted if ConHome readers are able to give a few hours of their time to assist. If you are able to volunteer, please email Emma who will let you have further details of when and where to meet.

She says:

"I fully appreciate that this is a big ask at this time of year, however, every extra few hours that each activist can put in really will make a difference. Thank you too to those volunteers that have already offered help to our Parliamentary Spokesmen, Kashif Ali and his team in this seat."

Craig Williams selected to contest Cardiff West at the Welsh Assembly election

By Jonathan Isaby

On Tuesday night, Craig Williams was selected to stand in Cardiff West at the Welsh Assembly election next year.

He contested Cardiff West at the 2007 Assembly Election, challenging the then First Minister, Rhodri Morgan, and attaining a swing of 8.8%, the second biggest in Wales. Morgan is now standing down, so a new Labour candidate has to defend a majority of 3,698 - which would fall on a swing of less than 7% to the Conservatives.

Since 2008 Craig has been a Cardiff City Councillor, representing the Pentyrch Ward, which lies within the Cardiff West constituency.

Paul Williams selected to stand in Ynys Môn at the Welsh Assembly election

By Jonathan Isaby

On Thursday night Ynys Môn Conservaitves selected Paul Williams to be their candidate for the Welsh Assembly election next year.

Paul has just unmasked himself as the author of The Druid blog, where he introduces himself to the voters of Ynys Môn - better known to non-Welsh speakers as the Isle of Angelsey - thus:

I was born, brought up, and educated on Ynys Môn. My family have farmed the Island for centuries and I spent my younger life on the family farm just outside Llangefni (before we converted it into the very successful Tafarn Y Rhos pub). I attended Ysgol Gyfun Llangefni and my first paid job was in the Welsh Country Foods abattoir in Gaerwen. Like many of my peers I left Anglesey to attend University and picked up two degrees including a Masters in Japanese, which I now speak fluently.

I went on to have considerable international business experience: I spent six years working in Tokyo, Japan, and a further six years in Frankfurt, Germany, where I was appointed to a very senior European marketing position for one of the World’s largest consumer electronics firms. I also however have experience of business on a smaller scale: three years ago, just before the credit crunch, I decided to set up my own small consultancy firm and therefore weathered the storm of the recession as a small businessman and learned intimately the problems and pressures facing small businesses all over the UK but particularly here in Anglesey. I currently live in Rhostrehwfa with my longterm girlfriend.

There is more about his political priorities in this blog post.

The seat is currently held by Plaid Cymru leader and Deputy First Minister of Wales, Ieuan Wyn Jones, who had a majority in 2007 of 4,392 over a (formerly Conservative) Independent candidate.

Pob lwc!

The Conservative campaign in Oldham East and Saddleworth is underway and seeking your help

By Jonathan Isaby

Judges declared void the result of the general election in Oldham East and Saddleworth, and the man who was elected as Labour MP, Phil Woolas, is awaiting the result of the judicial review he sought on the matter.

However, all the expectation is that the election will have to be re-run in a seat where the Conservatives were a very strong third behind the Liberal Democrats with 26.4% of the vote (Labour and the Lib Dems being on 31.9% and 31.6% respectively).

Whilst a Conservative candidate is not technically in place, Kashif Ali (pictured) - who fought the general election - has been readopted as parliamentary spokesman and it would seem unthinkable that he will not stand in the re-run election.

And although the fact that the local association website currently appears defunct is less than ideal, the Conservatives are nonetheless working away on the ground, knocking on doors and delivering leaflets.

Party co-chairman Baroness Warsi told ConservativeHome:

“Our campaign in Oldham is underway and we will be fighting for every vote. We have an excellent local campaigner and spokesman in Kashif Ali who has been working hard for the area for some time, and we look forward to the battle ahead. We’re building up our team in the area and we are already surveying local opinion. I look forward to pounding the streets of Oldham East and Saddleworth myself.”

Anyone wanting to help the Conservative campaign in Oldham East and Saddleworth should visit the association office at 66 Chew Valley Road, Greenfield, Oldham, Lancashire OL3 7DB or email Caroline Dickinson or Dorothy Wonnacott.

Alistair Cooke, Stanley Fink, Andrew Feldman and Angela Knight all expected to become Tory peers

Tim Montgomerie

The speculation is in this morning's Times (£):

"Tories fear that they could be criticised for appointing figures who bankrolled the party, such as Stanley Fink, the hedge fund manager and co-treasurer of the Conservative Party, who has donated £2 million since 2003.

Another name thought to be on the list is Alistair Cooke, the Tory party historian, who as Conservative deputy director was one of the people responsible for hiring a young David Cameron straight from Oxford.

Andrew Feldman, a friend of Mr Cameron who was brought in to run the Conservative campaign headquarters’ fundraising operation, may be on the list. He was appointed co-chairman of the Conservative Party alongside Sayeeda Warsi after the election.

Angela Knight, the former Tory MP and head of the British Bankers’ Association, is also thought to be under consideration."

Thirty new Tory peers are expected, in total, and a dozen Liberal Democrarts.

I hope justice will finally come for Howard Flight, who was unfairly dumped as an MP by Michael Howard, weeks before the 2005 General Election. He was the first nomination in our search for one hundred new Tory peers. Supporters of the A-list and retired MPs, including David Maclean, Patrick Cormack and Ann Widdecombe, are also hot tips to be enobled.

Oldham East and Saddleworth election to be re-run as judges order Phil Woolas's election void

By Jonathan Isaby

Breaking news just reaching me is that judges have declared the election contest in Oldham East and Saddleworth in May as void.

The contest was won by Labour's Phil Woolas - re-appointed a frontbencher by Ed Miliband just a few weeks ago - who beat his nearest rival, a Liberal Democrat, by 103 votes.

But the defeated Lib Dem challenged the result in the first case of its kind for 99 years, claiming that Woolas's Labour leaflets had contained a variety of false claims about him.

The result was:

Woolas (Lab) - 14,186
Watkins (LIb Dem) - 14,083
Ali (Con) - 11,773
Stott (BNP) - 2,546
Bentley (UKIP) - 1,720
Nazir (Christian) - 212

More news and reaction as it happens.

12pm update:

The Guardian reports that the court "upheld the claim by Elwyn Watkins that Woolas knowingly made false statements":

Watkins claimed that in his election materials Woolas lied about his involvement with Muslim extremists, his campaign funding, and his intention to live in the constituency.

Watkins accused Woolas of stirring up religious divisions in his election campaign in a desperate attempt to secure the election, which Woolas did win, but only by 103 votes. In one leaflet, Woolas's campaign accused Watkins of "wooing" extremist Muslims.

The court saw in September confidential emails between Woolas's team, which included the line: "If we don't get the white folk angry he's [Woolas] gone."

1pm update:

It seems that Woolas intends appealing against the decision, so confusion remains as to whether or not he will immediately be disqualified from the Commons.

Meanwhile, Tory chairman Baroness Warsi has issued a statement questioning Ed Miliband's judgement in appointing him a shaodw minister:

“This ruling exposes Ed Miliband’s terrible misjudgement. He was fully aware of Phil Woolas’s despicable and inflammatory campaign but still appointed him to a highly sensitive role on his front bench. After failing to act when Ken Livingstone directly contravened party rules, and dithering over whether to attend the TUC rally, Labour has another leader who’d rather duck a difficult decision than show real leadership.”

1.30pm update:

It would appear that the Speaker will have to make a call on Monday as to whether Woolas can remain in the Commons pending further legal machinations. Meanwhile, Ladbrokes make Labour 1/3 favourites to retain the seat at a by-election, with the Conservatives on 7/2 and the Lib Dems on 8/1.