ConservativeHome's Seats & Candidates blog

Wendy Morton gets a boost in Tynemouth as her Lib Dem opponent goes on holiday

Tynemouth is the top Tory target in the North East of England and Wendy Morton is the Conservative candidate aiming to regain the seat, which the party lost to Labour in 1997.

The Lib Dems are in third place with a little over 15% of the vote - but I suspect Wendy will now be eating into that (as well as continuing to pick up switchers from Labour) as it has emerged today that her Lib Dem opponent chose this week of all weeks to go on holiday.

As William Green from the Newcastle Journal blogs:

Tynemouth candidate John Appleby has been on a family holiday in the Lake District all week - even though it was the worst kept secret that Gordon Brown would call a general election this week. A Lib Dem spokeswoman insisted Dr Appleby was fighting a strong campaign and was not a "paper candidate" in Tynemouth, where the Conservatives are fighting hard to snatch the seat from Labour.

Speaking to me from holiday, the Lib Dem candidate said: "I am not the Prime Minister. I don't hold any great office of state. I have spent a great deal of time campaigning. We have all the nominations completed. Everything is ready to go. The general election could have been called any time in the last three months and it could have been postponed and although that was the most likely date, it was not certain. Everything we needed to do was organised. I am taking a few days out. I shall go back to campaigning when I am back."

With the Lib Dem yet to leave the stalls, clearly it's a two-horse race in Tynemouth, to coin a phrase...

Jonathan Isaby

Wendy Morton should seek the endorsement of the whole Tynemouth Association

Over the last few days the folly of CCHQ's decision to reverse the selection process in some Associations - with the executive stage coming after the whole membership stage - has been exposed in a most painful way.  Cllr Wendy Morton was chosen by Tynemouth's Conservative Association Executive - reportedly on a 9 to 7 vote - despite the fact she was not shortlisted by the preceeding vote of the whole Association.  Cllr Morton was called up for the final phase after two of the four shortlisted by the wider Association had dropped out.  Local members are understandably angered by being disenfranchised in this way.  The Newcastle Journal has spotlighted the debates that have taken place on this site (see here and here).  Brian Moore, former Chairman of Newcastle Conservatives, explained the anger in a comment to ConservativeHome:

"The issue here from the point of view of an activist is that with the system used to select the Parliamentary candidate is questionable. As chairman of Newcastle I voted for selecting our leader by one member one vote. Would David Cameron have been able to carry out his positive reforms within the Party if he had been selected by sixteen in an executive? My guess is no.  I would suggest that any Association reading the comments made on this site, and who are considering using a system where the members do not feel they have a say who the final choice is, should please re-consider. I would also suggest, with the greatest of respect, that the Party nationally seriously reconsider a system that effectively could lead to the members fifth choice being selected as the next member of parliament for a seat."

Cllr Morton is the innocent victim of all this.  Few have question marks about her abilities but there are real question marks about whether she enjoys the confidence of local members.  She needs to resolve that issue and fast.  ConservativeHome encourages her to call a vote of confidence of all members in her selection.  In due course she will have to be formally adopted but a quick vote is the one sure way of establishing that she has the confidence of all members and will limit the possibility of the Association limping along, wounded and divided.  Her very decision to act boldly in this way will also increase her chances of winning support within the Association.

CCHQ must also act by abandoning this selection ordering.  Candidates should be chosen by the whole Association - not just a grouping within it.

Wendy Morton adopted for Tynemouth

A-lister and Richmondshire councillor Wendy Morton has just been selected for Tynemouth.  She won her place in the final after Julie Moody and Anne Marie Trevelyan had dropped out.  Wendy fought Newcastle upon Tyne Central at the last General Election.  Wendy Morton won one of the Dragon's Den votes at the Party Conference for her idea to ensure that new homes are more energy efficient.  She has to overturn Alan Campbell's projected Labour majority of 5,532.

Finalists for Tynemouth

• Michael McIntyre - 2005 Tynemouth PPC and high profile local councillor
• Anne Marie Trevelyan - A lister from Berwick. Also in final for Carlisle and intending to go for Berwick as well.
• Lucille Nicholson - fought Easington in 2005. Must be A list as well.
• Julie Moody - A lister from York. Active in Northern Area YCs years ago

Selection next Saturday (9th).  Projected Labour majority of 5,532.