ConservativeHome's Seats & Candidates blog

Julie Rook selected for Wolverhampton North East

Julie Rook has been selected to contest Wolverhampton North East at the next general election. A 43-year-old businesswoman, she grew up in Kent is currently a councillor in Dover. She is married to a butcher and has two grown up children, one of whom is a fresher at the University of Birmingham.

The seat has been held for Labour since 1992 by Ken Purchase, who is standing down at the next election. After minor boundary changes, his replacement as Labour candidate, Emma Reynolds, will be defending a notional majority of 8,628, according to the calculations of Professors Rallings and Thrasher of the University of Plymouth.

Julie requires a swing of 12.5% to take the seat, which was last held for the Conservatives between 1987 and 1992 by Maureen Hicks.

John Wilford selected in Wolverhampton NE

This seat has a projected Labour majority of 8,514.

Are selections being delayed because of the quest for more women candidates?

A couple of weeks ago ConservativeHome learnt that four parliamentary selections in the West Midlands had been postponed; Walsall North, Walsall South, Wolverhampton SE and Wolverhampton NE.  We were informed that the principal reason for the postponement was an inadequate number of female applicants.  A CCHQ source didn't exactly deny this when we questioned them earlier this week although we were told that the number of applications had been disappointingly low overall - from both men and women.  The Burrowes/ Shapps analysis - which argues for early selection of people with local understanding - should be trumping the desire of CCHQ to increase the number of women candidates - particularly given the increasing likelihood of an autumn election.