ConservativeHome's Seats & Candidates blog

Therese Coffey selected for Suffolk Coastal

This afternoon, at a special general meeting of Suffolk Coastal Conservative Association, Therese Coffey was selected on the first ballot from a field of six to replace John Gummer as Conservative candidate at the general election. Nadhim Zahawi came second (as he did in Devizes).

She put in a superb performance - and I should know as I was presiding over the meeting!

She told me afterwards:

"I am thrilled to have been chosen by the great people of Suffolk Coastal Conservatives. There are many issues to tackle here and I have a lot to learn from John Gummer but the critical thing is to win the general election three months' today. Tonight I'll be celebrating but tomorrow I'll be starting work for the people of Suffolk Coastal - and I will be moving into the constituency by Valentine's Day."

I am reliably informed that she is set to be Suffolk's first ever female MP.

She will defend a notional Conservative majority of 9,674 over Labour.

Jonathan Isaby

Two plum seats selecting this afternoon

Today will see another two names added to the recent tally of Conservative candidates selected in safe seats.

Firstly there is Bromsgrove, where the six finalists are Charles Barwell, Ruth Davidson, Sajid Javid, Fiona Kemp, Tina Stowell and Mark Wooding. The victor will inherit Julie Kirkbride's 10,080 majority.

Then there is the contest to succeed John Gummer as Conservative candidate for Suffolk Coastal.The six finalists there are Tim Clark, Therese Coffey, Hugo de Burgh, Kay Mason, Sophie Stanbrook and Nadhim Zahawi - one of whom will defend the notional Conservative majority of 9,674.

I'll bring news of the winners later today.

Jonathan Isaby

Final six for Suffolk Coastal

This morning I can reveal the six finalists for the nomination to succeed John Gummer as Conservative candidate in Suffolk Coastal.

They were chosen by the association officers (not CCHQ), and will battle it out at a special general meeting of the association on Saturday February 6th.

They are:

• Tim Clark - Headmaster of a Lincolnshire grammar school, who wrote this article on education on ConservativeHome last November. Contested Sheffield Brightside in 2005.
• Hugo de Burgh - Director of the China Media Centre at the University of Westminster, he lives in the constituency. More on Wikipedia.
• Therese Coffey - Candidate at the 2009 European election in the South East and in Wrexham at the 2005 general election. Trained chartered management accountant, now working in the BBC Property Department.
• Kay Mason - Businesswoman and farmer from Norfolk. Stood in Norwich North at the 2001 general election.
• Sophie Stanbrook - Ipswich-based lawyer who stood for Suffolk County Council last year and Ipswich Council in 2007. Granddaughter of former MP Ivor Stanbrook.
• Nadhim Zahawi - Served on Wandsworth Council for twelve years, he co-founded the polling company YouGov and remains its CEO. Contested Erith and Thamesmead in 1997.

The successful candidate will inherit a notional majority of 9,674 over Labour.

Jonathan Isaby

Nominations open to seek a candidate for Suffolk Coastal - but applications have still not opened for Bromsgrove

Nominations have opened this afternoon in the search for a Conservative candidate in Suffolk Coastal, the seat being vacated at the general election by John Gummer.

Applications close at midday on Monday 18th January and the final selection will be conducted at a special general meeting of the association on Saturday February 6th.

Mr Gummer will bequeath a notional majority of 9,674 over Labour to his successor as Conservative candidate.

It is strange, though, that those on the candidates' list have still not been invited to apply for Bromsgrove, which Julie Kirkbride finally confirmed she will be vacating a week before Christmas. Given the timing of that announcement, that ought to be the last seat to which all those on the list will be able to apply under the old rules.

Jonathan Isaby

John Gummer becomes the latest Suffolk MP to announce his retirement

Today the former Environment Secretary John Gummer announces that he will retire from the Commons as MP for Suffolk Coastal at the general election. He explains to the East Anglian Daily Times that he wants to dedicate himself to campaigning full-time on environmental issues:

““Copenhagen was a total disaster. Telephone conversations with colleagues throughout Europe convinced me that international action is needed if the calamity of climate change is to be avoided. My Suffolk Coastal constituency has 74 miles of coastline. That makes me doubly determined to do everything I can to stop a calamity happening. I feel passionately about the subject. This is the danger that most faces us and unless something is done, the world will be in real trouble.

“But if I am to concentrate fully on the environment, I cannot devote the time I would wish to my constituency. I fully intended to serve one more term as MP for Suffolk Coastal, but Copenhagen changed all that. I sincerely hope and believe that David Cameron will become Prime Minister next year with a large majority. However, if the Conservatives end up with just a small majority in Commons, the pressure will be on all his backbenchers to be full-time MPs, especially in the first year when legislation has to be carried.

“I realised I could not do both jobs well and therefore I have reluctantly told my constituency association that it must look for a new candidate.”

An MP in London between 1970 and 1974, he has represented his patch of Suffolk continuously since 1979, and follows fellow Suffolk MPs Sir Michael Lord and Richard Spring to become the latest of the county's Tory MPs to be standing down - with rumours persisting that Tim Yeo in South Suffolk may yet follow suit too.

Mr Gummer will bequeath a notional majority of 9,674 over Labour to his successor as Conservative candidate at the general election, with his son, Ben, already running in the neighbouring Ipswich constituency.

By announcing his decision before the end of the year, he has ensured that the Suffolk Coastal Conservatives will not have a shortlist of three candidates imposed upon them by CCHQ. Will there be any more retirements announced before tomorrow night?

Update:

Also speaking to the EADT, association chairman James Butler indicates a preference for a local candidate:

“John has been a magnificent servant of Suffolk and this constituency for 30 years. But circumstances change and I fully understand and appreciate the reason why he is leaving. I have called a meeting of officers for next week and we will put in place the selection process.

"But I sincerely hope that the list of candidates includes a lot of local people who wish to be considered. I do not mind men or women but we need to be able to select someone from Suffolk if that is what we have to do... There are a lot of people locally who would make excellent MPs and I am sure we should at least be able to interview them along with those on the national list."

Jonathan Isaby