ConservativeHome's Seats & Candidates blog

Selecting a candidate: Reflections of an executive member in South Staffordshire

David Cooper was until last week a member of the executive of the South Staffordshire Conservative association (when his three years as a branch chairman came to an end). He writes entirely in a personal capacity.

Anyone familiar with The Apprentice will recall the stage when every last syllable of the contestants’ CVs comes under the most painstaking scrutiny from Sir Alan’s henchmen. The sheer horror felt by many an aspiring candidate when their carefully crafted life stories are found to have been embellished, exaggerated or (perish the thought) fabricated only adds to the viewers’ delight.

How might the interview round from The Apprentice be compared with the process of selecting a Conservative PPC for a notionally safe seat? The officious bystander might think that the candidates undergo a similar process at the hands of the local associations, who will in all probability be recruiting on a “once in a generation” basis, and bestowing the gift of 20 years or more in Parliament. 

And yet although that same bystander might think that the associations ought to have a similar relationship with CCHQ as a company interviewing panel has with its headhunters – you recommend, but we choose – reality suggests the associations have so little real power in practice that they might as well simply be told to find out which shortlisted candidate can best imitate a reverse pterodactyl.

On 1st December 2009, Sir Patrick Cormack unexpectedly announced his retirement. The South Staffordshire constituency officers promptly called an executive meeting for 10 December, when an area representative of the party attended to explain PPC selection procedure. The executive met again on the 18th and chose a six member selection sub-committee to undertake a preliminary sift of the applicants’ CVs and pick their own six-strong shortlist to put to CCHQ. In the meantime, approved candidates had to apply by the 14th.

Might Christmas have been thought ideal for the locals to study the applications in detail? Wrong. The CVs evidently only reached the sub-committee on 2nd January. Not much time for their own exercise prior to the London summons on the 14th to meet Eric Pickles and John Maples. The applicant whom the sub-committee favoured for shortlisting in particular – Nigel Hastilow - was not to the liking of the hierarchy but that is a side issue here.   

The association executive were informed - via circular email from the constituency office - of the chosen candidates on 15th January, just the six names, and reminded of a meeting on 21st January when all six candidates would address the executive and answer ten unseen questions in turn. I stress that again: just the six names. Three men, three women, none of them household names to local Conservatives, all with little or no recognition factor to anyone other than dedicated followers of stories about candidate selection nationwide. One executive member asked whether the executive would be sent copies of the candidates’ CVs prior to the meeting, and if not, why not. His email was not answered and the CVs were not provided.

Gavin Williamson selected for South Staffordshire

Gavin Williamson was selected tonight to inherit the Conservative nomination in South Staffordshire, where Sir Patrick Cormack is standing down at the general election.

It went to five ballots, with Gavin beating Robert Light in the final and decisive vote.

Gavin, 33, who originally hails from Scarborough and is now based in Derbyshire, was the penultimate national chairman of Conservative Students before it was abolished in 1998 and the separate youth wings of the party were united as Conservative Future. He contested Blackpool North and Fleetwood in 2005.

Gavin is co-owner of a pottery in Staffordshire and Managing Director of a architectural and design company.
 
He issued this brief statement:

"It is a real privilege to be adopted for this fantastic constituency. I am looking forward to working with the local community, the association and Sir Patrick to deliver a Conservative government."

Sir Patrick is bequeathing him a notional majority of 8,346 over Labour in South Staffordshire.

Jonathan Isaby

Blacklisted Tory candidate fails to get on South Staffordshire shortlist despite local members' support

Yesterday I published the final six shortlist for Staffordshire South.

One of the six was NOT Nigel Hastilow.

Mr Hastilow - who has twice previously been forced to resign as a Conservative candidate - was one of the choices of the six South Staffs representatives who attended the obligatory shortlisting meeting at CCHQ. They eventually conceded that he would not appear on the shortlist after repeated objections from Eric Pickles.

Mr Hastilow has written at length about his treatment on his blog. He accuses Eric Pickles of dishonesty in blocking his candidacy and John Maples of being "particularly obnoxious". Hastilow alleges that Mr Maples told him that he'd be a fine candidate but did nothing to support him in the shortlisting meeting. Mrs Hastilow was Mr Maples' secretary until she resigned in protest at her husband's treatment.

Mr Hastilow has embarrassed the party in the past by praising Enoch Powell. That led to his resignation in 2007 as Tory candidate for Halesowen and Rowley Regis.  Years earlier he had to resign as remained the party's Edgbaston candidate for despite using a website to make critical remarks of then Tory leader, William Hague.

I've had Mr Hastilow's account of the meeting at CCHQ independently verified.  I 100% understand why CCHQ would not want a controversial character being readopted but they should have removed Mr Hastilow from the candidates list and not given him false hope. There is a dishonesty in keeping him on the candidates list, John Maples telling him that he'd be a good MP but then blocking his candidacy when a local Association nominates him.

CCHQ declined to comment this evening.

Tim Montgomerie

Final six for Staffordshire South

The shortlist of six to succeed Sir Patrick Cormack:

1. Simon Baynes
2. Chris Emmett
3. Robert Light
4. Katy Lindsay
5. Lucille Nicholson
6. Gavin Williamson

None of the six live in the constituency.

The final will take place on Friday January 29th.

Tim Montgomerie

Nominations open in three more safe seats

The latest tranche of constituencies seeking a candidate was released yesterday and includes three safe seats where sitting MPs have announced their retirements in recent days.

The closing date for the following four seats is 14th December.

Salisbury - The seat being vacated by Robert Key. He bequeaths a notional majority of 8,860 over the Lib Dems.

Staffordshire South - The seat being vacated by Sir Patrick Cormack. He bequeaths a notional majority of 8,346 over Labour.

Suffolk West - The seat being vacated by Richard Spring. He bequeaths a majority of 8,735 over Labour.

Ynys Môn - Known as the Isle of Anglesey to its non-Welsh-speaking minority, where it would appear that the previously-selected Trefor Jones has stood down. The seat is a rarity in that it has been represented by MPs from all four main parties in Wales over the last 60 years. It was Tory-held between 1979 and 1987, but is now a Labour/Plaid marginal, with the Conservatives coming fourth with 11% of the vote in 2005 - although the third-placed Independent, Peter Rogers, had previously been a Conservative Assembly Member.

Jonathan Isaby

Sir Patrick Cormack to stand down at the general election

Sky News's Niall Paterson had the story first on his Twitter feed: the veteran Conservative MP Sir Patrick Cormack is to stand down as MP for South Staffordshire at the general election.

Sir Patrick, who turned 70 this year, has represented his patch of Staffordshire under one boundary or another since 1970. He had been re-adopted to fight the seat in September 2007 after a deslection saga which had lasted for much of that year, but has now opted not to contest the general election next year. He recently courted controversy by suggesting that MPs' pay should be doubled and their allowances abolished.

Sir Patrick has just released the following statement:

"I have informed the Leader of the Opposition, the Speaker, and the Chairman of South Staffordshire Conservative Association that, after a great deal of careful thought, and family discussions, I have most reluctantly decided not to offer myself for re-election at the next General Election.  I have been immensely proud to have been a Staffordshire Member in the world’s greatest Parliament for close on forty years, much more than half my life.  I regard membership of the House of Commons as the highest honour to which any British subject can aspire and I shall always be grateful to have had the opportunity, and the great privilege, of serving my country and my constituency at Westminster.

"I am most anxious to continue to work for some of the causes I have campaigned for over the years but I have recently had my third severe attack of bronchitis in two years and my doctor tells me I really ought to cut down on my normal ‘term time’ working week of 70 to 80 hours. The unhappy events of recent months in Parliament have made those hours much more of a burden than they used to be and it is also becoming increasingly clear that the new House of Commons will be very different from the old. Sadly, I have come to the conclusion that it is right that I should hand the torch to a younger man or woman, someone who will, as I have done, be able to offer many years of service to the people of South Staffordshire."

South Staffordshire is a safe Conservative seat, although the Rallings and Thrasher notional result of the 2005 general election (suggesting a Conservative majority of 8,346) is somewhat anomalous as it was based on a lower than usual turnout, albeit with a considerable drop in the Labour vote: during the 2005 campaign the death of the Lib Dem candidate meant that the poll had to be deferred until a separate day in June.

Sir Patrick's announcement at this juncture will ensure that his association will not have a shortlist of three imposed on them from CCHQ - as will be the case for any MP announcing they are stepping down after January 1st. I have previously stated my belief that MPs should make their intentions clear before Christmas and have a running list here of those MPs who have explicitly confirmed to us that they intend seeking re-election next year.

3.45pm update:

David Cameron has released the following statement:

"I am extremely grateful to Sir Patrick Cormack for his long-standing and committed service to his constituency and to our Parliament. As Chairman of the Northern Ireland Select Committee, as warden of St Margaret's, Westminster, and as a leading backbencher, Sir Patrick has been an outstanding servant of our Parliamentary democracy. At the next election, we will be losing a great friend to the Party and to our Parliament."

Jonathan Isaby

Cormack readopted for South Staffs

Members of South Staffordshire Association have voted in favour of Sir Patrick Cormack getting the Conservative nomination at the next election. He had threatened to run as an independent after the Association Exec deselected him in February. Chairman Cllr David Billson said:

"I am delighted that the membership have now decided that Sir Patrick will be our candidate at the next election. He is an excellent servant of the South Staffordshire constituency and we look forward to continuing to work with him to secure his re-election."

Sir Patrick Cormack reflects on his deselection saga

Sir Patrick Cormack is expected to win a vote of confidence of all local Tories in his continuing as South Staffordshire's MP.  The result will be announced on Friday.

He has been interviewed by his local Express & Star newspaper about the saga that began when his executive officers voted for his deselection:

"I have tried very hard not to be angry.  I have tried to be relaxed and behave normally when I have talked to people who I know jolly well have tried to put the knife between my shoulder blades.  I have just had to grin and bear it."

"I had been led to believe my reselection would be a formality and I thought that would be the case because nobody has ever criticised the way I did the job either in the constituency or at Westminster.  I went to the first selection meeting last February thinking there would be no problem."

Sir Patrick also explains why he was reported as threatening to stand as an independent:

"I am a loyal Conservative who has been proud to take the Conservative whip for the past 37 years and wish to continue to do so.  But I do not regard myself as the Member of Parliament for the South Staffordshire Conservative Association.  I am the Member of Parliament for South Staffordshire - and I think that attitude is at the root of my present problem.  I do what I think is right for my constituents regardless of who they supported at the last election and if that doesn't always accord with party policy then tough luck."

A pdf of Sir Patrick's interview can be accessed here.

Sir Patrick Cormack's future is in hands of local members

The BBC is reporting that a fresh ballot of the executive of Sir Patrick Cormack's South Staffordshire Conservative Association has resulted in a tie.  The fresh ballot was held after discrepancies were alleged in the first ballot.  82 MPs wrote in support of Sir Patrick but were insufficient to win over the executive.  Sir Patrick's future will now be decided by all 500 or so members of the Association in a secret ballot.  Sir Patrick is expected to win that ballot.

82 MPs sign letter of support for Sir Patrick Cormack

Jonathan Isaby has a copy of a letter that 82 Tory MPs have signed in support of Sir Patrick Cormack.  The letter which represents all strands of opinion within the parliamentary party has been put together by defence frontbencher Dr Julian Lewis.  The letter is lavish in its praise of Sir Patrick:

"He is independent-minded and an acknowledged ‘conviction politician’;
- He is fearless in standing up for his principles;
- He is a man of unimpeachable integrity;
- He is one of the best orators in the House of Commons;
- He has great experience and understanding of the Parliamentary system;
- He has made major contributions to heritage and the arts;
- He is assiduous, hugely energetic and respected by political allies and opponents alike;
- He is courteous, compassionate and is not the sort of politician to utter a spiteful word or shallow remark;
- He sets an example which the rest of us would be proud to be able to follow."

Wow!  It's an unprecedented move but will it now create an awkward precedent?  The next time an MP is in trouble with their local Association there might be an expectation of such a letter coming from the parliamentary party.  We'll see...

Invalid voting set to save Sir Patrick Cormack

BBC is reporting that invalid voting at Sir Patrick Cormack's recent deselection means that the MP for South Staffordshire will have a second chance at convincing his executive to reaffirm him as their candidate for the next General Election.

This is how the Birmingham Post covers the developments:

"Mr Maude has written to the local party warning that the vote must be re-run. He said the attendance register did not appear to reflect an accurate record of those entitled to vote. It has also emerged that more ballot papers were cast than people were present.

The decision does not mean Sir Patrick is guaranteed to win reselection when the vote is held again, but the level of support he has received in recent days will have strengthened his position.

Fellow Staffordshire MP Michael Fabricant (Con Lichfield) urged party activists to "see sense" and re-select Sir Patrick.

Sir Patrick said: "I am extremely grateful to those members of the executive council who drew these matters to the attention of the Party Chairman, just as I am grateful for the overwhelming support I have received from constituents and colleagues in Parliament over this last difficult two weeks.""

Sir Patrick Cormack deselected by Executive

As the Daily Mail is reporting Sir Patrick Cormack MP failed to be readopted as Tory candidate for South Staffordshire at last night's meeting of the Association Executive.

A ConservativeHome source says that Sir Patrick's speech to officers was disappointing.  In arguing his case for readoption he emphasised his ambition to be Father of the House and his hope to have a stab at standing for Commons Speaker.

The Chairman of the Association wrapped up the meeting quickly after the vote was announced.  Sir Patrick has the option of seeking to overturn the Executive's decision by a ballot of all local members (the route successfully chosen by James Gray following his recent difficulties) or to be fastracked through to the final four person stage of a new selection process.

ConservativeHome's source says that Sir Patrick did not take the vote well and refused to rule out standing as an independent conservative.