London Assembly Member Roger Evans provides coaching and advice to prospective candidates. In this post he's seeking the questions you'd like him to answer on 'getting selected'.
"With the latest tranche of Parliamentary seats soon to be up for grabs, hopeful candidates will once again face the ordeal of constituency selection panels. Why will a few clear this hurdle seemingly without effort whilst many others struggle?
I have been coaching candidates on speech design and question handling at interviews, for over two years. Of around 25 people I have worked with, 18 have so far been successful in their quest for a seat and others have hugely improved their performance.
I help candidates to recognise common pitfalls, cut the waffle, build a rapport and ensure that their messages stick in the minds of selectors. Building confidence, standing out from the crowd and learning from mistakes are critical to success.
I recently provided some generic advice for councillors wanting to make the leap to Westminster, here on ConservativeHome. But I recognise that many candidates come from beyond local government, so now I’m offering to help out all comers. Ask me your toughest selection questions and I will give you my opinion and best advice on how to deal with them and win."
PLEASE LEAVE YOUR QUESTIONS IN THE THREAD BELOW AND ROGER WILL ANSWER THEM SOON.
Question ideas: How should I use humour? Should I ask for their votes and if so how? How much preparation do I need?