ConservativeHome's Seats & Candidates blog

John Glen celebrates victory in Salisbury by singing 300 year-old song about turnips!

I was delighted earlier to watch the new MP for Harlow Robert Halfon's gracious victory speech earlier, kindly sent to me by Graeme Archer.

The most unusual vioctory routine must be the one that awaits the candidate elected by the great people of Salisbury. Tradition dictates that the new MP sings a song about fighting turnip beetles, first sung 300 years ago. It was a tradition observed by the outgoing MP, Rob Key. The LibDem candidate said that he wouldn't sing it if elected. What a spoil sport! John Glen - elected on Thursday with a majority of 5,996 - did sing it.

There's more about the tradition and an audio of John's performance here.

Tim Montgomerie

Campaign videos from two third-time candidates poised to enter Parliament after more than a decade of hard work

There are nine Conservative candidates standing  in their seat at this general election for the third election in a row (full list here), all of whom are hoping to prove that it pays to be persistent.

Below are new campaign videos from two of their number, both of whom narrowly lost in 2005 and who require the smallest of swings to take their seats this time around. Both were first selected more than a decade ago, in 1999, and deserve particular praise for their continued slog over that time.

They are Nick de Bois, candidate for Enfield North, and Robert Halfon, who is standing in Harlow.

Jonathan Isaby

Robert Halfon is more recognised in his constituency than any other Conservative candidate

This is according to a piece in this morning's Times about how the parties are assessing which voters in which seats to target:

Conservative headquarters monitors candidate performance by using polls to measure name recognition. The candidate in Harlow, Essex, Robert Halfon, is the most recognised in the country with 48 per cent of those polled in Harlow knowing his name. Successful candidates measure at about 30 per cent. Newly selected candidates can poll at about 5 per cent.

Robert's visibility in the seat is to be applauded and can be put down to over ten years'  very hard work. He was first selected to contest the seat in November 1999 and is now standing there for the third successive election, now requiring a swing of just 0.3% to oust Labour's Bill Rammell.

He is one of nine candidates fighting their seat (or a very similar one after boundary changes) for the third election in a row. The others are: Ken Andrew (Carshalton and Walllington), Neil Carmichael (Stroud), Oliver Colvile (Plymouth Sutton and Devenport), Nick de Bois (Enfield North), Karen Lumley (Redditch), Mark Reckless (Rochester and Strood), Henry Smith (Crawley) and Iain Stewart (Milton Keynes South).

More than thirty candidates are fighting their seat for the second time in a row.

Jonathan Isaby

Diary of a PPC: Robert Halfon (Harlow)

This is the first of a new feature on ConservativeHome. Each week I will ask a prospective parliamentary candidate to write a diary of the previous seven days in which they can highlight the national political issues and events which are getting them exercised, the local issues on which they are campaigning in their constituency and write more generally about life as a candidate, the events they are attending, the people they are meeting and give us a flavour of what makes them tick.

I hope that candidates will find it a useful opportunity to raise their own profiles and that readers will enjoy getting to know a bit more about the men and women aiming to take their place on the green benches after the next election as Conservative MPs. I will be commissioning individuals to write diaries, but if you are a candidate and are keen to be featured, please email me.

Jonathan Isaby

Our inaugural Diary of a PPC is written by Robert Halfon, the candidate for Harlow in Essex. Robert stood in the seat in 2001 and 2005 and is the Political Director of the Conservative Friends of Israel. His campaign website is here and you can read his posts on the CentreRight blog here.

Monday

Feel a little tired as have just come back from Israel on a somewhat gloomy CFI visit, livened up with the presence of some great PPCs and MPs.  Whatever the difficulties in the Middle East, David Amess can be sure to lighten up Jerusalem with some good Essex humour.

Nevertheless, this visit was a difficult one. Israel is still trying to form a Government, following their crazy PR system. Daniel Kawczynski, also on the trip, reminded Israelis with relish that he was chairman of the UK First Past the Post Parliamentary Group.

Despite the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza – following the recent conflict , Hamas is still firing missiles onto Israeli towns (over 100 in the last 3 weeks).  Where is Annie Lennox when you need her?  In fact, where was she when Hamas killed 400 Fatah Palestinians (throwing some off the rooftops), when it mounted its coup d’etat in Gaza in 2007?

In the evening, I attend a small fundraiser for my campaign in Harlow, organised by Howard Leigh, one of the kindest men in Conservative politics.  Howard is a rare breed, a man who does so much for others, without asking for anything in return.  Despite my promise to myself of a post-Israel diet, it is hard to resist the salt and vinegar flavoured crisps and a good glass of wine. The alchool helps steel me for my presentation alongside that of a senior MP  - who has come specially to support me.  Hopefully we should raise a few hundred quid to spend on some leaflets.