CCHQ have released some numbers about the results of the re-opening of the candidates' list, initiated by David Cameron in May:
Interestingly the numbers do not include breakdowns of male and female candidates - let alone other measures of diversity.
John Maples MP, Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party with responsibility for candidates, issued this statement:
“We have been delighted and overwhelmed by the numbers of people who have expressed an interest in standing for the Conservative Party. Our team in CCHQ has done an excellent job processing the applications. We are only sorry that there is not enough time left to take every application forward and those people should feel free to reapply after the General Election. People from a diverse range of backgrounds and all sorts of occupations have put themselves forward. Four have now been selected as parliamentary candidates which shows the process to have been a success.”
The four candidates adopted so far are: Rory Stewart, Penrith and The Border; John Walsh, Middlesbrough; Nigel Bonson, Sheffield; and Charlotte Vere, Brighton Pavilion.
Tim Montgomerie