ConservativeHome's Seats & Candidates blog

Bob Stewart selected for Beckenham

I have just heard the news that Bob Stewart has been selected to replace Jacqui Lait as Conservative candidate for Beckenham. Sally Marks was eliminated on the first ballot and he won the requisite 50%+1 on the second ballot.

He described himself on the Beckenham website prior to the primary thus:

"Bob Stewart is a former British Army officer who saw extensive service in Northern Ireland and commanded the first British United Nations Bosnian deployment in 1992 – 93. He left the Army in 1995 being first a political consultant with Hill and Knowlton UK Ltd and then Managing Director of WorldSpace, a digital satellite company. Currently he is a freelance writer, analyst, and lecturer specialising in leadership and strategic issues."

Jonathan Isaby

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This afternoon an open primary meeting is being held in Beckenham to select a successor to Jacqui Lait as Conservative candidate.

Significant boundary changes at the general election will make the seat far safer for the Conservatives than it is at present. In fact, the notional Conservative majority of 16,913 will make it - in percentage terms - the safest Tory seat in the country, according to the projection of Professors Rallings and Thrasher of the University of Plymouth.

There are five names battling it out for the nomination (the sixth, Daniel Poulter, was selected in Suffolk Central and Ipswich North and it was apparently too late for Iain Dale to take his place):

• Tariq Ahmad
• Lynne Hack
• Sally Marks
• Jo-Anne Nadler
• Bob Stewart

I will let you know the result as soon as I have it - most likely between 5pm and 6pm.

Jonathan Isaby

Exclusion of local candidates upsets Beckenham grassroots

There is growing discontent amongst members of the Beckenham Conservative Executive over the shortlist for the seat. The Executive at its' meeting on October 21st indicated that it wanted to someone who would be a first rate constituency MP and that the preference was for a local candidate. The shortlist, agreed by the six representatives in agreement with CCHQ contains no local candidates despite the fact that both London MEP Syed Kamall and GLA Member for the constituency James Cleverly applied. Former MP and until the last AGM Beckenham Constituency Chairman Cllr Nicholas Bennett and Cllr Steve Carr, the Leader of Bromley Council together with Cllr Neil Reddin are also believed to have thrown their hats in the ring.

“We look stupid”, said one member of the Executive:

“Effectively we are saying that there are none of these people are worthy of interview or consideration. Instead we have a shortlist of county councillors from Surrey, a journalist and Col Bob Stewart. The only candidate with any local connection is a 30 year old doctor who works at the local hospital but who is a councillor in Surrey and on the shortlist at Suffolk Central and Ipswich North. The shortlist looks like a typical CCHQ list and many of the names are familiar from previous shortlists around the country”.

CCHQ heavily control the shortlisting process now and are actively discriminating against local candidates because they know the open primary process involving a public hustings - more correctly called an open caucus by Douglas Carswell MP - favours them.  Resentment is being caused because local candidates are not even having the opportunity to appear in front of their fellow members but are being rejected at a secret meeting in Millbank Tower.

Tim Montgomerie

The six finalists for Beckenham

• Tariq Ahmad
• Lynne Hack
• Sally Marks
• Jo Anne Nadler
• Daniel Poulter
• Bob Stewart

Nominations open for Beckenham and Stretford & Urmston

Only two seats appear in the latest tranche to be selecting a Conservative candidate:

Beckenham: Where Jacqui Lait MP is stepping down at the next election. There are quite significant boundary changes, which will make the seat far safer for the Conservatives than at present. In fact, she will bequeath a notional Conservative majority of 16,913, which - in percentage terms - would makes it currently the safest Tory seat in the country, according to the projection of Professors Rallings and Thrasher of the University of Plymouth.

Stretford and Urmston: The seat where Mark Versallion stood down as candidate earlier this week. Labour MP Beverly Hughes is standing down at the election and the new Conservative candidate will need a swing of 10.65% to overturn a notional Labour majority of 8,310.

Applications close at midday on Friday October 30th.

Jonathan Isaby

Jacqui Lait MP set to retire

4pm: It is now official.

Jacqui Lait has issued this statement:

"It has been my pleasure and privilege to serve as Beckenham’s Member of Parliament for nearly 12 years now but, with the prospect of a Conservative government after the next election, I have for some months now been considering whether it might be time for me to move over for a younger person. Indeed, I first mentioned that I was thinking about retirement to the Chief Whip in March this year.

Given the probable timing of the next General Election, I thought it only fair to the constituency to come to a final decision over the summer months.

I am therefore writing formally to confirm my intention to retire at the General Election, now expected in 2010. Not only will the new Beckenham constituency be able to move into the exciting years ahead with a younger and refreshing new candidate, but I will be free to take up new challenges while still of an age to contribute fully to the future of our country.

I will obviously remain an active MP until the dissolution of this Parliament and I look forward to working with new candidate for Beckenham over the coming months.

I would like to thank you and all officers and members of the Association for their active support and kindness to me as MP and to Peter and I look forward to being able to thank them more personally in due course."

UNCONFIRMED but ConservativeHome sources say Jacqui Lait MP will become the latest Conservative MP to step down at the next General Election, vacating Beckenham.

After winning the seat for the Conservatives in a difficult by-election at the start of the Blair years, Jacqui Lait will leave her successor a Tory majority of over 14,000.