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"7. Stevenage"

Good luck to whichever candidate is selected to fight Stevenage. Having grown up in the town, I feel pretty sure that a lot of the names reported to be priority candidates will have their work cut out making an impression.

There's a quite interesting pattern here. These are not the top target seats in terms of majority we need to overturn, but several were fought last time by people we now know to be on the A List. Has this list been compiled to fit those on the A List?

Ali Mirij - Watford
Hannah Hall - Luton North
George Freeman - Stevenage
Nick Boles - Hove

A clever group of seats. Few, if any, are safe as houses and it will be interesting to see whether the A-Listers keep their powder dry and wait for completely safe seats occupied by bed-blockers to come up or whether they gamble and go for a marginal/mildly safe seat...

Are those in any particular order?

Plus, I know there are going to be some changed boundaries, but we lost some of those seats by very significant margins last time. Why are we selecting for Reading West and Stockton South but not selecting for supermarginals like Hereford, Stroud, Crawley or Battersea?

Please don't tell me that this whole process has risked a massive activist backlash just to select women in seats we'll only be winning in a landslide anyway...This is bizarre.

Many of these seats are difficult and will not be easily won e.g. Stockton South. Maybe the A list is not the first class ticket which is being suggested. Interestingly the new boys and girls on the list may end up in worse seats then those joining later and they probably won't know which are the good seats!

I am slightly confused why Bury South is on the priority list and Bury North is not, seeing as Bury North is far more marginal. In Bury South we have some very good local candidates who as far as I can tell have not made the A-list, which would be a massive shame.

An A-Lister informs me that the reason behind this is so that the tougher seats have candidates in place for longer. A solid seat like Horsham will not be selecting until later on. The aim is to get marginals selected now so that candidates can have a good 2-3 year run at getting bedded in.

Rob - its also highlights CCO havent really got to grips whats happening in the North! How many of the candidates we know are A listers can honestly be seen as Northerners?

Can anyone tell me whether Virginia Taylor is still the PPC for Hereford?

(Conservative seat 1937-1997)

I notice there are no seats in Scotland or Wales included in this first tranche of seats. Will any of our Celtic target seats be picked before the elections to Cardiff Bay and Follyrood next year?

I really am at a moment of despair with this A-List and the target seats. As a Northern Conservative i can only see Southerners as candidates and only one Northern target seat (Outer York, which is solidly Conservative anyway). Cameron constantly talks about wanting to retake the North and win seats in Scotland but all this proves there is a gap between his rhetoric and action.

James Turner: I think they're in some sort of regional ordering.

Mid Derbyshire would be a safe Tory seat - but where are the candidates from Derbyshire. Chris Heaton Harris leaving Brussels for a safe seat perhaps?

Wouldn't it be fantastic justice if Howard Flight got selected for Folkestone & Hythe!!

'Mid Derbyshire would be a safe Tory seat - but where are the candidates from Derbyshire. Chris Heaton Harris leaving Brussels for a safe seat perhaps?'

The only possible I see on the list so far is Chris. Don't know if he would prefer a seat nearer Lincolnshire though.

Daniel Vince-Archer - the A-List does not apply to Scotland. The Party up there has its own candidates list, selection process and chooses its own target seats.

"Daniel Vince-Archer - the A-List does not apply to Scotland. The Party up there has its own candidates list, selection process and chooses its own target seats."

Thanks for clarifying. Is that what happened with the Dunfermline and Fife West by-election?

"George Freeman - Stevenage"

George did a good job for 2005. Might be good to select him again and allow him to build on the progress he's made so far.

Wouldn't it be fantastic justice if Howard Flight got selected for Folkestone & Hythe!!

I rather suspect those candidates and associations which lost narrowly in 2005 will take a rather dimmer view of Mr Flight's utter stupidity during the last GE campaign...


I think it would be sensible to reselect George Freeman for Stevenage.

"I rather suspect those candidates and associations which lost narrowly in 2005 will take a rather dimmer view of Mr Flight's utter stupidity during the last GE campaign."

Hear hear. I was watching my words (re: Howard Flight) for fear of being deleted and banned but I second the above comment by Iain Lindley.

Will any of these seats go for a primary rather than association (supplemented by "others") selection?

I can never understand the degree of venom directed at Howard Flight. He was nobbled by Michael Howard's inner circle in a thoroughly distasteful and undemocratic manner. If I had been him, I would have had a writ served on Howard in the middle of the Tories' morning press conference. It was never proved that he said what he was alleged to have said. The whole story was cooked up by Alastair Campbell's mate at the Times, Tom Baldwin, and the Times never seemed to be able to come up with a complete recording of the offending remarks....an omission which echoes Michael Ashcroft's experience.

By the way, when are the Duncan Smiths going to sue the Tory Party for libel over the treatment of Betsy Duncan-Smith a couple of years back?

"Wouldn't it be fantastic justice if Howard Flight got selected for Folkestone & Hythe!!"

I was a 'floating voter' at the beginning of the 2005 election campaign. The Flight affair showed me how stupid Howard was. The James Commission was telling me £40 billion was being wasted by the state. I wanted to pay less tax. Howard refused to make any significant 'offer' to over-taxed people like me at all.

You Conservatives who think people don't want to pay less tax and wouldn't vote for a tax-cutting party are just too dim for words.

The treatment of Flight was one of the reasons I did not vote Tory at the last election. It just showed that they were as intellectually dishonest, authoritarian and high-handed as Blair.

Henry,

I understand that Virginia Taylor (Hereford 2001 & 2005) has, regrettably, decided not to re-fight the seat.

Virginia drove all the way to B'ham to help us in a marginal seat on polling day last week. Without any fuss, she took a pile of knocking up and disappeared for a few hours on her own, getting out the vote. I wonder how many of our quasi-celeb candidates feel so passionately for our party that they drive from their home, where there are no elections, to help in a marginal council seat, just because they care so much for the party that that can't bear to see us lose an election. I wonder how many of them were traipsing the streets in 1993- 1997 taking the abuse and suffering the endless defeats?

>>>>I rather suspect those candidates and associations which lost narrowly in 2005 will take a rather dimmer view of Mr Flight's utter stupidity during the last GE campaign...<<<<
All he said was that other savings would be made if found, anyone saying that when they find something that could be done differently saving money or that is a waste of time and could be scrapped that instead they would leave things as they are is crazy.

Gareth, that is really sad news. Any chance she can be persuaded to rethink because she came within a whisker of victory last time? I know, from personal experience (my widowed mother lives in Hereford) that the sitting Lib Dem MP is utterly useless. I am still waiting for a reply to a letter I sent him 5 months ago about anti-social behaviour where my mother lives?!

Problem is Michael is that she came from a whisker away from victory in 2001 as well. Unfortunately I think she's probably a little bit too old now to stand again. I think a fresher face – a fresher face than Paul Keetch – will be needed to take Hereford back again. I don’t think to be honest, though she’s a really hard campaigner, that she was the fresh alternative to Keetch in 2005.

Eastleigh - or are we saying that Huhne is too well established?

As a Northern Conservative i can only see Southerners as candidates and only one Northern target seat (Outer York, which is solidly Conservative anyway)
As a northerner, I see Pendle, Bury South, Sefton Central, Staffordshire Moorlands, Selby and Ainsty, and Stafford, in this first tranche.

I wasn't casting doubt on Virginia Taylor's abilities! I just wasn't sure whether she was running again. Anyway, best of luck to her in the future. Hereford may well be getting an A-lister, Cameron visited Hereford fairly soon after his election, after all, and it is in the top 20 winnable seats. Paul Keetch is a loser and needs the boot.

(In 1993-1997 I was at prep school!)

I'd add Coventry, Telford and Broxtowe to that Sam. Broxtowe had a parachuted candidate last time. It didn't work.

Outer York is not a safe Conservative seat. The Liberal Democrats hold every single Council ward in that constituency, and will put up an almighty scrap. Anthony Wells even had it down as a notional Liberal Democrat seat.

Does anyone know if Mark Menzies (2005 candidate for Selby) has made it on to the list?


That is indeed a pity about Virginia Taylor.

In the context of what Gareth has said, one man who does deserve to be mentioned is Tim Collins who e-mailed me out of the blue, and offered to help me in Fryent. I got a very difficult patch delivered with his assistance.

Virginia Taylor helped us out in Worcester too-very usefully in a suburban seat we only held by 54. A hard worker and an intelligent and interesting person who I only met at the last party conference. She said then she was going on from Hereford-pity.

I don't object to an A list to get more women & VEM's. They are needed. But to exclude local candidates is totally wrong. Actually, here in Worcester locals don't usually get very far, but it will leave a bad taste among some activists. Plus, it is increasingly hard to fight a seat properly if you are not local when all year round campaigning is needed.

"As a northerner, I see Pendle, Bury South, Sefton Central, Staffordshire Moorlands, Selby and Ainsty, and Stafford, in this first tranche."

If you think Staffordshire is North, you aren't a northerner ;-)

Hear! Hear! Mike!

Where do you define the North then Mike. I always thought it was North of the Wash.

Isnt the North just a state of mind ;o) We are South of Sheffield - and whilst we are classed as East Midlands we know where our heart lies. Now where has my flat cap gone??

If you think Staffordshire is North, you aren't a northerner ;-)

It is by any definition I've seen, certainly if Coventry is counted.

Stafford and Coventry are in the Midlands.

And we wonder why we struggle in the North :-D

Comments have been made that some of these seats either aren't that marginal or that super-marginal seats aren't on the list.

I disagree, living in Ealing I know that the safe Labour seat of Ealing Acton (9) would be notionally Conservative under the boundary changes with a majority of just 56 over Labour (according to UK Polling Report).

It shows that CCHQ are doing some research at least.

Different people have their own definitions, but Coventry isn't North in anyone's books.

Certainly not in the books of either proper northerners or people from Coventry!

Here's a county map.

http://www.milesfaster.co.uk/information/uk-counties-map.htm

I would define north starting at the southern tip of Yorkshire.

"Where do you define the North then Mike"

Personally, as a Lancashire lad, I always view anything much past Crewe as dangerously tropical.

I'm Lancashire too, Oldham. I think of North as above Wales, rather than in Yorkshire terms, but it was a handy point on the map.

I'm very proud of my northern roots - half Scouse/half Yorkshire Dalesman, but the most common north-south divide line I've seen cuts diagonally from the Severn to the western corner of the Wash.

Personally I'd put it from Shrewsbury to Skegness.

I agree with the comments about the strange selection that have made up the first 35 seats. Kent is a key battleground and aside from the held seat of Folkestone & Hythe there is nothing here. We have the marginal likes of Dartford, Medway, Gillingham, Sittingbourne etc - but nothing. Kent is a county that has been neglected by CCHQ in recent years. The fact that we have had several bad candidates here cmbined with the fact that three target seats are in supported status - this would surely have been an opportunity to get people selected early on and then all try to pull together (despite Maude's best efforts to tear us apart).

The important thing is how people see themselves, and this is important for CCO to realise. If you send someone from the Home Counties to Coventry and they start talking about being in 'the North' they are going to get laughed at by the locals, and by northerners.

You can't specify a grid reference to where 'the North' starts, it is a state of mind as someone said earlier. Is Cheshire in the North? Derbyshire? It probably depends which part of the county you are in. Only the locals could really tell you how they see themselves.


Ian you will probably find Mark is...

"but the most common north-south divide line I've seen cuts diagonally from the Severn to the western corner of the Wash."

From the point of view of whether one is a Northerner, it isn't a North/South divide. You have to consider the Midlands. People in Birmingham do not see themselves as northerners.

What does supported status mean?

"The important thing is how people see themselves, and this is important for CCO to realise. If you send someone from the Home Counties to Coventry and they start talking about being in 'the North' they are going to get laughed at by the locals, and by northerners."

That is the best rule. How do people classify themselves, Northerners or Midlands?


I think it means that the association's officers are suspended, and the association is run directly from CCHQ.

'From the point of view of whether one is a Northerner, it isn't a North/South divide. You have to consider the Midlands. People in Birmingham do not see themselves as northerners.'

Although we are going wildly off the point, If it's simply North/South, then I feel Northern in Derbyshire. It's always difficult to define within the Midlands. In the East Midlands, I would say Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire are Northern.

The point about sticking someone from the Home Counties in Coventry is valid though.

For me the North South debate highlights something important the party needs to consider with regards candidate selection which sometimes gets overlooked. Its not just about getting good "Northern" candidates in "Northern" seats, its about appreciating very local diferences.

Could I (born Chesterfield) stand in Nottinghamshire - yes. Could someone from Derby stand in Nottingham - harder. Could I stand in Sheffield - no - too much of a local rivalry. Could I stand elsewhere in Yorkshire - absolutley. The same exists I suspect between Bradford and Leeds and so on. I hope issues like these are being examined.

Its important we get the right people in the right places.

While we are discussing geography, "Sefton Central" does not seem to be an existing constituency (unless there is an error in the HoC website). Is it being created by the boundary changes? Is it essentialy the old Crosby constituency?

Yup Rob, Sefton Central is Crosby (plus boundary changes)

Since I'm in one of the associations in supported status...

Supported status means the association's right to elect its own chairman is suspended. In the case of my association at least the other officers are elected as normal but the Chairman is appointed by the party board. The board also appoints its own representative (in our case one of the regional directors) to mentor the association.

The reason that the Kent seats aren't on that list is probably precisely because they are in supported status. Presumably the aim is that the associations will be brought out of supported status prior to candidate selection.

" Its not just about getting good "Northern" candidates in "Northern" seats, its about appreciating very local diferences."

Exactly, our last candidate in Rossendale and Darwen was faced with an uphill battle, despite being an excellent candidate and a nice bloke, he was a Yorkshireman. This is an odd and rather parochial corner of the world! I can see Yorkshire out of my kitchen window, but it's a different world over there! :-)

As a Yorkshire man I am happy to report that the north is simply defined as - Merseyside, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cumbria and the North East. It's quite simple.

The rest is either the midlands or the south.
The idea that Nottingham and Derby are northern would probably cause a riot up here! As for Staffordshire and Coventry well, I ask you ...

Mike - but its true to an extent. The seat I fought was Bassetlaw. Whilst it is a Nottinhamshire seat - the northern part is minutes from Doncaster - and they feel no affinity to Notts - and really dont like Notts County council as they feel they are ignored because they are so far away. God forbid a candidate from London standing there.... then they really would get a "You're not from round these parts are you sonny" comment.

I still got "Your lot closed my pit" but at least you're from round here.

This must happen in so many places.

"Mike - but its true to an extent" This sounds like you are disagreeing with me, but I don't see where we disagree. I'm saying you can't pinpoint it on a map and it depends on the attitudes of the locals, places like Cheshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire are on the 'border' and depending exactly where you are in the county people may see themselves differently.

No I was agreeing. Its me being illiterate I think!!

Getting away from what's North and South, can we agree that parachuting is not a great idea. Remember Norman Lamont in Harrogate. I have great concerns about the regional make up of this list.

it does look odd to have selected over 100 priority candidates then force 35 of them to be selected for a range of reasonable but in most cases hardly solid seats. Most long serving members of the Party probably won't mind. it will be interesting to see how the recent converts react to having to apply for some of these seats. Those added to the list later look like being in a better position!

The Strict geographical division between the north and south of england is the River Trent.. That is because there is a definate change in plant/animal life at that point. Although global warming will probably push the south further north. All other terms midlands/SE/East Anglia/SW etc are up for grabs. Where is Gloucestershire SW, someone in Cornwall would think that was the midlands. Where is Northants South/Midlands
Oxfordshire/Bucks Midlands/South, you will drive yourself mad trying to define it all.

From the point of view of whether one is a Northerner, it isn't a North/South divide. You have to consider the Midlands. People in Birmingham do not see themselves as northerners.

Fair point, I think the common divide I referred to is primarily economic.

Sefton Central is basically Crosby (which included Formby) gaining Maghull from Knowsley North and losing Waterloo and part of Seaforth to Bootle.

Ridiculous boundary change in some ways, the ward of Victoria includes part of the heart of Crosby, and is being shoved into Bootle (one of the safest Labour seats going), as is my home ward (Church) but that is a Tory-free zone anyway.

It is good for the Conservatives though, and the majority halved last time around with a strong local candidate holding our vote (Debi Jones) and the LibDems eating into Clare Curtis Thomas'.

Back to the point, CCO need to recognise that a big part of the problem is that in large parts of the country Conservatives are viewed as some sort of alien life-form. We should be pushing local candidates wherever possible. We need to show people that Conservatives can be from any social background, gender, race, creed. Given a choice between a local and a 'posh southerner' it isn't a contest really :-)

But is it not the case that a parachutist can become 'local' with just enough work. If they are selcetd early too, does this not give them the chance to get beeded into a seat and become a true local campaigner?

The only geographical divide that really matters is between Kentishmen and Men of Kent. Thank you.

"But is it not the case that a parachutist can become 'local' with just enough work. If they are selcetd early too, does this not give them the chance to get beeded into a seat and become a true local campaigner?"

A neigbour of mine, who sadly passed away recently, once told me that some people still though of her as an new-comer, despite the fact that she had moved from less than 10 miles away over 40 years ago :-D

I agree Mike. We have an image problem of being seen as only in it for the rich. You don't solve that in a Northern seat by sticking a posh southern woman instead of a posh southern man.

Anthony, I suspect you're right. Interesting to see which of the Kent candidates from last time round reappear!

As a resident of South West Wilts I've always thought the North started at Swindon....

I find the North to be more into local candidates than the south - selection processes often involve questions like "What do you think of this week's headline story in The Daily Rag?". Candidates need to get stuck in with local community groups and single issues. Some city seats intiative PPC's were southerners who came up every now and then.

This needs to be combined with more innovative, professional campaigning - the Salford HQ should help with this a little. A few Greg Smiths and Grant Shapps wouldn't go amiss.

At a national level, the party has to address its London/Southern leaning in the narrative and image it portrays. The last general election was aimed at southerners whether deliberately or subconciously - I know some of the central leaflets were binned oop north as they were so blatantly written by a southerner! We barely made any progress in the NW. We have to make the Spring Forum's themes a reality - talk about the issues that affect northern cities, talk about the fabric of communities and ways to tackle poverty.

I do think DC has gone some way on this - things like the Spring Forum, Hezza's new portfolio, advocating trams and giving the social justice policy group the most freedom are very positive steps.

I wouldn't be surprised if Howard Flight applied for West Worcestershire. He has a home in the constituency and has supported our events in the past.


The comments on Guido Fawkes' blog about the A List are highly amusing (and no doubt highly defamatory).

I am starting work at the Salford HQ on 5-4-06.Don't worry boys and girls, I will sort everything out......

I meant 5-6-06.....

"I am starting work at the Salford HQ on 5-4-06"

You are very very late for your first day then!

Kentishman - "Interesting to see which of the Kent candidates from last time round reappear!"

That's a point. I wonder if Mark MacGregor got on the gold list (and if so, what Iain Duncan Smith's reaction will be given his previous statements).

I'd forgotten about MacGregor. Apparently several Kent candidates from 2005 didn't even make it back onto the main list. Some interesting times ahead in Kent - interesting to see how local associations treat 05 candidates who really should have won last time round: Medway, Dartford, South Thanet in particular.

A friend has just filled me in on Louise Bagshaw, who describes herself as an 'author'. One will not find her 'novels' on the GCSE syllabus.

"I wonder if Mark MacGregor got on the gold list "

And Vanessa Gearson?

I sincerely hope MacBackstabber and his sidekick Gearson aren't on the list, but given their alleged closeness with Francis Maude, I wouldn't be surprised.


On that issue, DVA, I think you may well be unfair towards Francis Maude.


Jordan's also an author, Gareth.


And she also has experience of having fought a Parliamentary seat.

I'd forgotten about Gearson and MacGregor. They are probably in the same boat as Hilton and Kruger. How can it be right for one or two people to keep people off an A-List because of some grudge? Whatever these did or did not do, they clearly have 'opponents' who are blocking their progress. That alone shows that that the selection process is open to abuses of power. Who are the megalomaniacs? Jenkin? Mackay? May? Richie? How can such power reside unaccountably in so few hands? Isn't that fundamentally un-Conservative?

None of this squares with the localism agenda Nadim. To sum the process up in one word, shady.

I'd be grateful if people would avoid discussing personalities on this thread. I am not unsympathetic to your 18.59 post DVA but more caution please!

I apologise for getting carried away, it's just the damage done to the party by the undermining and removal of Iain Duncan Smith remains a very sore point with me.

And with me Daniel!

Mark Reckless has cut Medway's Laboutr majority from 6000 to 3000 to 200.....I hope he gets reselected...rather than some unknown or undeserving...and the A list has some of those!

I live in Staffordshire. It's definitely NOT the North, it's the Midlands. It only takes an hour by train to get to London from where I live in Lichfield.

"Wouldn't it be fantastic justice if Howard Flight got selected for Folkestone & Hythe!!"

Uhhmmm.....NO!

Michael Howard kept that seat for us when far safer seats fell. He successfully fought off strong LimpDum/Labour attempts to unseat him. He saved the local authority from absolute financial ruin when the LimpDums ran the place. That 12000 majority is Michael Howard's majority....not a Tory majority. To hold the seat, we need a damn good candidate next time out. Flight will lose.

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