Theresa May declares for David Cameron

We had confirmation yesterday that Cornerstone would not be fielding a leadership candidate and I've just heard Theresa May announce her backing for David Cameron (on the Today programme).  This means - almost certainly - that there will be just four riders in the race to succeed Michael Howard: David Cameron, Ken Clarke, David Davis and Dr Liam Fox.

A leadership bid from Theresa May had always looked unlikely but in her passionate defence of members' voting rights Mrs May has already played an important role in this election process - one which earned her many new admirers.

Comments

[Guido Fawkes]

What a shock. She isn't running for leader?

[Michael Smith]

She also said on Today that that one of the issues she'd discussed with Cameron was candidate selection. Given her views on the subject, and her decision to support young Dave - oh dear!

[Sean Fear]

That sounds ominous. I just don't see how Theresa May can reconcile her admirable support for members' voting rights with her desire to foist candidates on associations who they don't want.

Leaving aside the question of fairness, any form of positive discrimination involves promoting people beyond their capabilities (viz Helen Brinton, Margaret Hodge etc.)

There is no way that Cameron would get my vote if that is what he is thinking of. In fact, I'd even vote for Kenneth Clarke in preference.

[wasp]

When candidates are expected to be local is beggars belief to have all women shortlists just when Peter Laws has exposed how daft they are, a 50-50 list split is much more sensible

[AnotherNick]

"There is no way that Cameron would get my vote if that is what he is thinking of. In fact, I'd even vote for Kenneth Clarke in preference."

Cameron has stated he wants more women in Parliament but was catagorical he did not see the answer being all female candidate lists. I think his comments were on Sunday AM, but he definitely made the comment in the last week.

[greg]

I think he will use some issue around candidate selection as his "clause 4 issue".

[Simon C]

Looks like some more questions for your long list Tim. Where does DC stand on:

1) Primaries & party democracy?
2) Candidate selection - particuarly does he agree with Teresa May's suggestion that we have an A list of 100 candidates for the top 100 target seats, with a 50-50 split on gender grounds?

[Cllr Iain Lindley]

This is just scurrilous - as has been said Cameron has made his opposition to shortlists quite clear.

[Rick]

Theresa May ? She was only once interesting but that was simply a confusion over someone with the same-sounding name.

[Selsdon Man]

Any party committed to localism and direct democracy cannot impose all-women shortlists or a 50-50split for the top 100 target seats.

Until we hear otherwise, Mr Cameron's statements indicate that he shares those views.

[Cllr Iain Lindley]

I'm sorry, extrapolating Cameron's view from the opinion of one of his newly-declared supporters is absolutely absurd.

I know several Clarke supporters who favour withdrawal from the EU. I'm not going around saying that Clarke wants to do that...

[Selsdon Man]

"Theresa May ? She was only once interesting but that was simply a confusion over someone with the same-sounding name."

Can you elaborate? Who is the other Theresa May?

[Simon C]

"This is just scurrilous - as has been said Cameron has made his opposition to shortlists quite clear."

I hadn't registered anything DC had said on this Iain, and am glad to see he is opposed to this 100-strong A list (which I guess is what you are referring to by "shortlists").

However it's not scurrilous or absurd to raise this; it's still an entirely legitimate question, especially in the light of Teresa's comment that she had discussed this with him. She is well-known for her strong views on this issue, which is an important one. If his views remain the same, and his negotiation with Teresa has not persuaded him to a different view, he can say so simply and straightforwardly & there's an end to it.

[Michael McGowan]

It shows how parochial the Tory Party has become that its modernising wing, almost all from the South-East of England, keep harping on about all-women shortlists. Much much more important is to get a roster of candidates who actually have local roots and empathise with local people and their concerns. I am a child of the sixties from the North Midlands where the Tory Party has been displaced by the Lib Dems. I now live in London and work in the City. I can assure you that the kind of candidate favoured by the modernisers would be viewed as a Martian by most people, young and old, from my home city. They are for the most part small-"c" conservative people who are simply not interested in Notting Hill's morbid introspection about race, gender and sexual orientation. They want "can do" politicians who do not patronise them and who get stuck into sorting out their real-life problems regarding crime, transport, bad schools, uncontrolled immigration and unresponsive healthcare. You would find in fact that a lot of candidates with this mindset would be women.....and very successful they would be too. But the number one priority is to engage with people's worries; show you care about them enough to do something; and to stop chasing a faddish agenda peculiar to the world within the M25.

[Selsdon Man]

"Much much more important is to get a roster of candidates who actually have local roots and empathise with local people and their concerns."

Totally agree! That is how the Lib Dems win - local councillors fighting seats for two or three elections. Our Richard Benyon, a local candidate, had to do the same to take back Newbury.

[michael]

Michael, I'd also like to see the Party engage with people's hopes and aspirations too. In doing so we will start to look less like the nasty, angry, grumpy (however we want to describe it) party. You're right about the need for associations to be able to select local candidates, especially in safe Labour or Lib Dem seats and to be able to do it years in advance...not months before a General Election!

[Ben O]

Richard Benyon is backing DC I believe.

[Rick]

"

"Theresa May ? She was only once interesting but that was simply a confusion over someone with the same-sounding name."

Can you elaborate? Who is the other Theresa May?"

Most certainly ! Voila !

http://tinyurl.com/dzs3x

[Selsdon Man]

How is a 50/50 split compatible with fast-tracking which is happening at the moment? As most candidates who are likely to be fast-tracked are male, it means that most of the rest of would go to women. If you are a male candidate hoping to be selected for a top 100 marginal seat, you should be very wary of Mrs May's influence.

[Selsdon Man]

Rick, that says a lot about your interests! The editor would not approve.

[Michael McGowan]

I'm pleased to hear that people with real experience of hand-to-hand fighting with the Lib Dems in marginal seats are backing DC. That may help to ground his campaign in reality. One of my biggest concerns about DC and his acolytes is that they are a gilded clique most of whom have been parachuted into safe seats (Witney, Tatton, Henley, Wantage, Surrey Heath) without having to fight for much in the world of politics. Their rise to prominence has been all about old-fashioned political patronage, not meritocracy. If you think that comment is harsh, just wait for the what the Labour Party will say.

[michael]

Selsdon, I agree. The Lib Dems select candidates who are prepared to work year in year out, between elections, and over a number of elections. Gradually eroding Labour and Tory majorities until eventually, they take the seat. If Conservative candidates could be selected on that basis, they'd be showing a true commitment to localism.

[AnotherNick]

What a long discussion about something that isn't Cameron's view in the first place. I think you are reading too much into Theresa May's comments, both her and David Cameron (and me for that matter) want more female conservatives elected. That doesn't mean that they have the same ideas on how this should happen. Cameron has opposed all women shortlists.

[Daniel Vince-Archer]

"One of my biggest concerns about DC and his acolytes is that they are a gilded clique most of whom have been parachuted into safe seats (Witney, Tatton, Henley, Wantage, Surrey Heath) without having to fight for much in the world of politics. Their rise to prominence has been all about old-fashioned political patronage, not meritocracy."

I couldn't agree more. There's a lot of resentment towards the 'caviar conservatives' for the way they've all been parachuted into safe seats and fast-tracked into the upper echelons of the Conservatives and I wouldn't be surprised if this counts against Cameron when the MPs cast their votes.

[greg]

The questions are fair enough - Theresa May specifically made the point of saying that candidate selection was the most important issue for her.

As for campaigning on local issues - well i'm sorry but that is not the basis to elect a government. It has got a part to play, but sometimes you just have to accept that the Libdems have always got the advantage on this, just as the Conservatives and/or Labour have the advantage of being a serious contender for Government (remember all the libdem stuff about how many people would vote for them if they thought they could form a government?). The fact that so many people are talking about "local issues" as being the key for the Conservatives just shows how far they have fallen.