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The three finalists are:
The seat is currently held by Andy Love for Labour and he will defend a notional majority of 10,312 at the next election. The Conservative candidate would need a swing of 14.2% to gain the seat.
I will update the post with the winner's identity as soon as the news reaches me.
10pm update: Andrew Charalambous was selected on the first ballot. Read more about him on his website.
Jonathan Isaby
Each week a different PPC provides us with an insight into life as a candidate and gives us a flavour of their own campaign and interests. If you are a candidate and are keen to be featured, please email Jonathan Isaby.
Saturday 19th September
Most Saturdays we have some form of street presence but for a change we don’t this week. I have breakfast with an old friend, and a new one, at a popular cafe in Westbourne. Then walk around Westbourne. Spend some time talking to an elderly veteran of WWII who is collecting for the wings appeal. It’s always humbling listening to their stories and remembering how much we owe that generation.
Before heading to the local office to check on post I pick up a copy of the Daily Echo. Nick Clegg has launched an extraordinary intemperate attack on David Cameron calling him a ‘Conman’. I’m sure this is a mistake from their point of view. People tell me on the door step that they want to know more about David – but they don’t dislike him. This is the sort of language that really turns people off and I’m not sure Clegg has earned the right with the public to say it. Dash off a quick letter the Echo saying that while people are worried about so many things people want politicians to raise the tone of debate. Use one of my favourite quotes from Lord Denning, “Two reasonable persons could perfectly reasonably come to opposite conclusions on the same set of facts without forfeiting their right to be regarded as reasonable.”
Head over to one of the Poole Wards which will be in Bournemouth West under boundary changes to do a bit of delivery. I’d printed a leaflet for one of our Councillors who had got some work done on a roundabout near the University. Vital that when we do good work we tell the public. Later get a couple of emails from people who had got the leaflet. This is when I feel I’m making proper contact.
Yorkshire Conservatives have just issued this statement:
"Skipton and Ripon Conservatives have today selected Julian Smith as their Parliamentary Candidate for the next General Election. Julian was chosen at an Open Primary event held at Aireville School in Skipton by an audience of residents from across the constituency.
They had the chance to hear from the final four candidates in the selection and then voted on the person they would like to see be their Conservative Candidate.
Commenting on his selection, Julian Smith said:
“I am deeply honoured to have been selected as the Parliamentary Candidate for Skipton and Ripon. To be following in the footsteps of David Curry is a great honour. There has not been a better MP and he has delivered year after year for this constituency. I am delighted to be taking on the baton from a Parliamentarian as experienced and worthy as him.”Richard Hughes, Chairman of the Skipton and Ripon Conservative Association, said:
“I would like to congratulate Julian on becoming the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Skipton and Ripon at the next General Election. I think he is an excellent choice and made a strong impression on all the residents who attended the Open Primary. David Curry will be a hard act to follow as our Conservative Candidate but I am confident that Julian is up to the challenge and I look forward to working with him.”"
Newcastle Conservatives have today selected two of the three candidates who’ll contest the city’s seats at the next general election.
In Newcastle upon Tyne East, they’ve picked Dominic Llewellyn (who has a great website here). Since graduating from Newcastle University, Dominic has worked in the voluntary sector both at home and abroad as well as working for a property company. He is currently working at The Shaftesbury Partnership working on designing and delivering social reform, specifically around unemployment. Dominic enjoys playing and watching good sport, reading and good company! He is a Governor of Excelsior, Newcastle’s only City Academy. In 2007, Dominic married his wife Becca – who grew up in Newcastle and went to Heaton Manor – and they live in the heart of the constituency, in Heaton.
Dominic is up against Labour’s Chief Whip, Nick Brown, in third place behind the Liberal Democrats. Rallings & Thrasher say he needs a swing of 19.9 per cent to gain the seat.
In Newcastle upon Tyne North, they’ve chosen Stephen Parkinson. Stephen was born in North Shields in 1983, and his family have lived on Tyneside for generations. His grandmother grew up in a mining family in Netherton Colliery, and his dad began his career at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle. Stephen is a comprehensive boy who won a place to study history at Cambridge, and he published his first book earlier this year. He’s been Director of Research at the Centre for Policy Studies, and a key member of the Party’s campaign team, producing the literature for the Crewe & Nantwich, Henley, and Norwich North by-elections.
The Labour MP for Newcastle North, former Europe Minister Doug Henderson, is stepping down at the next election and the Labour Party have imposed an all-women shortlist on local activists. The Conservatives are in third place behind the Lib Dems, and need an 18.3 per cent swing to win.
Both Dominic and Stephen have been campaigning across Newcastle for the past year as part of the City Seats Initiative. A third candidate, for Newcastle Central, will be selected later this week.Woking Conservatives have short-listed four candidates to battle it out for the nomination in the seat being vacated by Humfrey Malins at the next election. They are:
The selection meeting is taking place at the HG Wells Centre in Woking at 7.20pm on September 30th and will be chaired by Dean Godson of Policy Exchange.
It is open to any registered voter in the Woking constituency. To apply for a ticket, you must contact Woking Conservatives in advance on 01483 773384 or via email, quoting the words "Open Primary" in the subject line of the email.
Jonathan Isaby
4pm: It is now official.
Jacqui Lait has issued this statement:
"It has been my pleasure and privilege to serve as Beckenham’s Member of Parliament for nearly 12 years now but, with the prospect of a Conservative government after the next election, I have for some months now been considering whether it might be time for me to move over for a younger person. Indeed, I first mentioned that I was thinking about retirement to the Chief Whip in March this year.
Given the probable timing of the next General Election, I thought it only fair to the constituency to come to a final decision over the summer months.
I am therefore writing formally to confirm my intention to retire at the General Election, now expected in 2010. Not only will the new Beckenham constituency be able to move into the exciting years ahead with a younger and refreshing new candidate, but I will be free to take up new challenges while still of an age to contribute fully to the future of our country.
I will obviously remain an active MP until the dissolution of this Parliament and I look forward to working with new candidate for Beckenham over the coming months.
I would like to thank you and all officers and members of the Association for their active support and kindness to me as MP and to Peter and I look forward to being able to thank them more personally in due course."
UNCONFIRMED but ConservativeHome sources say Jacqui Lait MP will become the latest Conservative MP to step down at the next General Election, vacating Beckenham.
After winning the seat for the Conservatives in a difficult by-election at the start of the Blair years, Jacqui Lait will leave her successor a Tory majority of over 14,000.
Each week a different PPC provides us with an insight into life as a candidate and gives us a flavour of their own campaign and interests. If you are a candidate and are keen to be featured, please email Jonathan Isaby.
"In the past I have to admit to being ever so slightly irritated by the diaries of those candidates lucky enough to be able to devote themselves full-time to their campaigns. However, having juggled being candidate for the newly-created Sunderland Central seat with working full-time heading up the CRM account for mobile phone giant Nokia at a Leeds-based marketing agency for the last 18 months, I too am now a full-time candidate (at least when not leading the now 22-strong Conservative opposition on the city council). Here's my diary of the week..."
Monday 14th September
Had planned to start the day delivering some of the ‘donate a fiver’ letters we’re sending out to pledges but drizzled off so head into my office at the Civic Centre calling at Sainsbury’s on route for healthy sandwiches. I’m on a diet. Look through my morning post. I’ve been sent the latest annual report from Urban Regeneration Company, the Sunderland Arc. Looks expensive. Even feels expensive. They have a ‘this is’ theme this year. I turn to the page about the city centre wilderness that is the Vaux site. ‘This is Vaux’ says the headline above an artist’s impression that none of us think will never be realised. ‘This is Vaux’. No it’s not, I think!
I’ve got an hour or so before Ram from Young Asian Voices comes in to meet Tony Morrissey, my council ward colleague, and me so check my emails. Emails from parking campaigner Neil Herron saying that the Council might have breached EU procurement regulations by failing to properly transfer their contract with NCP and from some of my councillors telling me about a BBC article asking whether bringing Nissan to Sunderland was Margaret Thatcher’s greatest legacy. I can’t resist forwarding the BBC story to all Sunderland councillors. Chaos ensues as councillors re-fight the battles of the 1980’s.
A recent ConservativeHome survey found that by 84% to 10%, party members would prefer to adopt a person with a track record of commitment to the Conservative Party than someone who has responded to David Cameron's recent call for new candidates. There are many good reasons why some people do not have such a track record. Hamish Fulton, for example, has been serving in the armed forces and he should not be penalised for that.
During my own years in the Conservative Party I have come to know many people who I believe would make excellent MPs. I've drawn up a list of twenty people who, in my personal opinion, have the combination of conviction, compassion and intellectual skills that the next Conservative government will need. I repeat: it's a very personal list. It's not a list that purports to be 'the best candidates' but I publish it in the hope that it might be helpful to some Associations picking candidates and to the individuals themselves.
Sajid Javid, Syed Kamall MEP and Nadhim Zahawi
Another Muslim deserving of a seat on the green benches is London MEP Syed Kamall. He is not a friend in the way that Sajid and Nadhim are friends but I admire his resolute support for free trade, his sincere Euroscepticism, his commitment to the work of the Centre for Social Justice and the fact that he is liked across the political spectrum in Brussels. That ability to get along with people and make deals happen is invaluable.
All three men are outstanding talents.
George Bridges, John Glen, Dominic Schofield and Nick Timothy
Elizabeth Berridge and Fiona Bruce
Two women I have got to know from the North West:
Now for my three health teamsters:
Three big brains are next on my list (without saying the others are small-brained):
Graeme Archer, James Bethell and Brian Connell
Tim Montgomerie
The October issue of Total Politics magazine contains an article by Byron Criddle of The Almanac of British Politics. He calculates that the proportion of privately-educated Conservative MPs will fall to 52% next year if 326 Tory MPs are elected. That figure compares to a parliamentary Conservative Party that was 70% privately-educated in 1983, the year of Margaret Thatcher's landslide victory. The proportion has been 60% during this parliament.
Total Politics also reports that 16% of Labour MPs will be privately-educated.
Mr Criddle also reports that Oxbridge-educated Conservative MPs will form 33% of the parliamentary party; down from 43% in 2005.
5% (16) of the MPs will be Old Etonians, compared to 10% (32) in 1992.
ConservativeHome's own survey of the 200 Tory candidates in already held and target seats produced the following results:
The percentages do not add up to 100% as some candidates attended a variety of different schools.
Tim Montgomerie
Today
we publish the final in a series of five articles aimed at budding candidates from Heather White, the
professional relationship expert and networker extraordinaire who
founded Smarter Networking
(whose website also includes more free networking advice).
> Last week: Gaining the upper hand on rival candidates
This is the final instalment in my series regarding successful networking for new approved candidates, and considers how you can make the most of the party conference as a successful networking opportunity.
Everyone knows that this Conference season is the most important, given the looming General Election. It is also likely that you are fairly confident about going as you have more than likely been before. However, if you just generally wing it and hang out with your usual crowd, then perhaps this year is the time to actually get a decent plan in place to make sure you network like crazy and make the most of your time.
If you actually stop to think about how many people - and organisations - are planning to be at Conference this year, it could be a bit overwhelming. A successful Conference is not about meeting as many people as possible but meeting as many of the right people AND making a good impression.
Why are you actually at Conference and who do you want to meet? Is this a chance to improve your contacts, recruit supporters or raise money? And who are the individuals that you need to reach? Could any of your existing contacts help or is there an organisation that may help create an introduction? As a candidate, is there an issue you really want to be raising with someone or a key journalist you want to meet?
The first thing to do now is to prepare a list of all those people that you already know. Make contact with them and arrange a coffee, lunch or drink in the bar. Is there anything you can do to help them, do they have a fringe event you could help support? Think about what they are doing now, have they moved jobs recently? Are they connected to other people who may be good for you to meet?
Each week a different PPC provides us with an insight into life as a candidate and gives us a flavour of their own campaign and interests. If you are a candidate and are keen to be featured, please email Jonathan Isaby.
This week’s diary is written by Justin Tomlinson, who is PPC for Swindon North. A local councillor for the Abbey Meads ward in the constituency since 2000, he contested the seat at the 2005 general election when he reduced the majority of Labour MP Michael Wills from over 8,000 to barely 2,500 on a swing of nearly 7%. He now requires a swing of around 3% to finish the job.
Saturday 5th September
Relentless campaigning is the key in North Swindon, and a weekend never goes by without a flurry of deliveries and canvassing of some description. Today we’re targeting three separate wards which means quite a bit of logistical juggling.
We’ve got a tried and tested system here. We operate a kind of ‘flying squad’ of volunteers who are parachuted in wherever they’re needed at quite short notice. This gives us maximum flexibility, which is far better than fixing sessions weeks in advance and has been crucial in helping us secure 43 of the 59 Councillors in Swindon.
Sunday 6th September Unless there’s a specific event organised, Sundays are often a bit of a ‘play it by ear’ affair. Today, buoyed up by our frenzy of activity yesterday, we decide on another delivery session. A flurry of text messages gathers the troops. I’m coordinating the activities this weekend and flying solo. Our agent, Peter Heaton-Jones, has managed to fracture a rib and tear a couple of muscles in some bizarre gardening-related incident. He’s dosed up to the eyeballs on prescription painkillers so I’m leading the day’s activities with Cllr Dale Heenan, our Deputy Chairman Political, so it’s his ward we concentrate on.
Monday 7th September
Back to work – paid work, that is. Running my own company is the perfect arrangement for being a PPC. It gives me the flexibility to drop things at a moment’s notice if something crops up, as it often does!
We are currently working through our various Swindon Conservatives websites, refreshing the design. Today we have finished off the main site. We will be working on a number of our ward sites throughout the week. The - internet through websites, online forums and Facebook - are becoming an increasingly important part of our campaign mix.
The local paper has just published a league table of the attendance record of councillors at council meetings, so I have drafted a letter to the editor, pointing out that my 100% attendance record is an important part in restoring trust in politics.
In the evening it’s our group meeting at the Council offices. Future policy and tactics are discussed and possible motions debated. We follow that with a campaign team meeting, discussing plans for the general election, the local elections next May and our campaign priorities over the next month. I am lucky to have an excellent team of helpers in Swindon.
Ten days ago we featured an article on the site by Hamish Fulton, who explained why he answered David Cameron's call in May for new would-be parliamentary candidates to come forward.
Today, the Sunday Times reports that 70 names have recently been added to the candidates' list (considerably lower than the 4,000 who initially expressed an interest) and identifies the following five:
They will doubtless appear among the many who applied for the first tranche of safe seats to come up post-Expensesgate and will also be vying for the nomination in the latest retirement seat to emerge: Suffolk Central and Ipswich North, which Sir Michael Lord announced yesterday he will be vacating at the general election.
One relative newcomer to politics who has already been selected to fight a Conservative seat is of course Sarah Wollaston, the GP chosen to fight Totnes at an Open Primary.
Jonathan Isaby
Sir Michael Lord, a Conservative MP since 1983, has announced today that he will step down as Member of Parliament for Central Suffolk and Ipswich North at the next General Election. He has been removed from the cut and thrust of party politics since 1997, serving since then as a Deputy Speaker of the Commons, and was an unsuccessful candidate to replace Michael Martin in June.
He said:
"I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as a Member of Parliament and considered it a huge privilege and honour to have served the people in Suffolk. I will be sad to retire but feel that now is the right time to make the announcement to allow my successor to be selected and become known to the constituents of Central Suffolk and North Ipswich.
"When I leave the House of Commons I will particularly miss my constituency work which I have always found extremely rewarding and which has enabled me to help thousands of my constituents over the years. Finally, I would like to offer my sincere thanks and gratitude to my Conservative Association, Officers, Staff and members who have supported me so steadfastly throughout my years as their Member of Parliament."
He bequeaths a notional majority of 7,786 to his successor as Conservative candidate in the constituency.
Jonathan Isaby
Today
we publish the fourth in a series of five articles aimed at budding candidates from Heather White, the
professional relationship expert and networker extraordinaire who
founded Smarter Networking
(whose website also includes more free networking advice).
> Last week: Getting to know a constituency
This is the fourth instalment in my series regarding successful networking for new approved candidates, and considers how you can gain an upper hand on rival candidates in selections and elections alike.
Before thinking about your possible competitors, think first about you. Ask yourself these questions and be brutally honest with yourself. What do you stand for? Think not just about party policies but your actual values and opinions. It’s all very well being able to recite the party line on crime or defence issues but you need to be able to display real conviction in your opinions. It is a hard act to keep up all day every day so pick the issues you want to campaign on carefully as you will need to be able to hold your position in the face of the fiercest opposition, particularly a rival candidate.
How effective is your brand? Are you positioning yourself as a family person, a caring person, an outspoken critic, a ruthless leader or a mixed bag of personalities that means something to everyone? It is crucial you think about what you want to be known for and that you project it whenever you meet people. People don’t necessarily vote for politicians they identify with, sometimes it is more about who they respect and who they believe will stand up for them rather than someone who has had a similar background to themselves.
Think about all the faults or skeletons you may have and prepare how you would respond if questioned on them. It could be a failed company, a divorce or a change of political views. You need to be realistic that anything from the past could emerge and if handled well, it may be that your rival’s trump card turns out to be nothing more than a damp squib.
What is your expertise? What are you particularly good at? Are you a strong orator or more of a listener? How can you structure your campaign to bring out your best qualities and what training could help to tackle the weaknesses? Ask those closest to you to identify things you maybe don’t want to tell yourself. If there are weaker areas that are harder to tackle then who can work with you to create the whole person and have a campaign team that reflects all that your audience will want to see?
Continue reading "Heather White: Gaining the upper hand on rival candidates" »
Each week a different PPC provides us with an insight into life as a candidate and gives us a flavour of their own campaign and interests. If you are a candidate and are keen to be featured, please email Jonathan Isaby.
Friday 28th August
Day started well on opening the Lincolnshire Echo with both sides of the letters page dominated by two lengthy and detailed letters both supporting issues with which I am closely involved. Had to buy a second copy, not to please my vanity, but because our dog totally chewed our first copy. The main letter covered recent Park and Ride announcements (Lincoln has none) that will impact on our campaign to return professional flat horse racing to Lincoln. The letter made quite helpful points which should help at the forthcoming meeting with local Community Forum on Tuesday evening.
After yesterday in Newcastle, I spent the day Magistrating in Lincoln so was able to be home at a reasonable time to be with the family. A great way to start the Bank Holiday weekend topped off with a take away and a family film night watching Star Wars.
Saturday 29th August
Our eldest son was up first today and he managed to retrieve the newspaper before the dog did, hence I was able to read some more positive comments without trying to guess the missing words. Good canvassing weather in Skellingthorpe but not as many canvassers as I would have liked, however, this is understandable since it is a Bank Holiday weekend. Still, people were pleased to see us and had a lot to say about the Government – none of it good.
Finally had to force myself to break apart our Hornby train set which had been used in a recent Plains, Trains and Automobiles (and R/C Helicopters) fundraising event held at our house. It was great seeing grown men and women reliving their childhoods, and hence my reluctance to put it all away again. My wife put her foot down and said that she wouldn’t mind sitting in our sun room at least once whilst we still have some sun rather than looking at my recreation of Lincoln’s station in miniature.
Continue reading "Diary of a PPC: Karl McCartney (Lincoln)" »
Hamish Fulton has recently been accepted on to the approved candidates' list. He has no political experience and only applied to be a candidate after the list was re-opened in late May. A lifelong Conservative voter, here he explains why, after careers in the Army and in business, he now wants the chance to have a third career in Parliament.
David Cameron’s call for new candidates in the early summer, following the so-called MPs' expenses scandal, didn’t fall on deaf ears here. Or it turns out with thousands of other would-be parliamentarians. In my case though, it had less to do with the furore surrounding the now famous duck houses and moats, and more because it struck a chord, deep down, that I’d not connected with for a long time.
Once I was a young Army Officer freshly out of Sandhurst, aged 19. Eleven mostly older and much more experienced NCOs and soldiers were now my sole responsibility, at least in military matters; and all of them looked to me for a semblance of leadership and direction. As it turned out, I made many mistakes and wrong turns but in the end things clicked. Serving one’s fellow human beings, especially in a very public service such as the Army, resonated deeply with me. Not only was I acutely aware that they relied on me for leadership and direction, but also that my actions and decisions could, ultimately, affect their very lives.
Later in business, in London and running my own company, I find the same things apply. Making a profit is one thing, but leading and managing and empowering employees is just as crucial to overall success. So too, as Chairman of Trustees of a local school, you learn very quickly that serving the interests of parents, children and their teachers requires all your wits, and a pragmatic approach to problems, as well as leading on strategic issues: the financing and construction of new buildings and facilities for example. Never mind the fundraising!
So, you arrive at 50 plus, divorced and with two teenage children, and you think: I don’t do anything for anyone any more. Well, not outside my own immediate family and friends. And even then it's mostly just for myself, because my kids have almost flown from the nest anyway. It’s just me me me, and that’s just not good enough. Not at all.
Further to previous ConHome coverage of the issue, it is tonight that Conservatives in Thirsk and Malton will meet to consider a motion that would, if passed, see Anne McIntosh MP deselected as candidate for the redrawn but notionally safe Conservative seat at the next election.
Today's Yorkshire Post cited a party insider as saying the vote would be "too close to call".
My understanding is that when the votes are counted no figures will be announced - merely whether or not the motion has been carried.
Either way, I will bring you the result as soon as I have it later tonight.
10pm update:
Anne McIntosh MP won the vote and remains candidate for Thirsk and Malton and released the following statement:
“I am obviously delighted with the result after a meeting that was positive and constructive and I would like to thank the many members of the Association who attended. The important thing is that people had the opportunity to raise any issues they had with me and they had a good hearing. We now move forward united as a much better fighting force for the election, whenever it’s called.”
Jonathan Isaby
Today
we publish the third in a series of five articles aimed at budding candidates from Heather White, the
professional relationship expert and networker extraordinaire who
founded Smarter Networking
(whose website also includes more free networking advice).
> Last week: Making the right impression with the people that matter
This is the third instalment in my series regarding successful networking for new approved candidates, and considers how you should go about getting to know a constituency.
This means a lot more than glad-handing some dignitaries and endless photo opportunities. Given the recent expenses scandal, voter trust in MPs is at a real low, and voters are now starting to turn against MPs who do not appear to be working hard for their constituency. If you wish to be nominated as a candidate, and hopefully get selected in the polls, you need to prove that you’re much more than a snout in the trough.
For instance, a number of people are putting their names forward to fight a seat in the next general election as an independent – a protest vote against the main three parties and the expenses culture that many of the electorate assumes exists in Westminster. Remaining credible and electable means not underestimating the importance of being seen as a force for good in the constituency. An MP who looks after the interests of his or her voters is always valued regardless of political persuasion.
OK, so where do you start? Ideally you’ll have an interest in or existing link with the constituency you wish to represent. However, even if you think you know an area, you may not necessarily have the same ideas of what is important or not as the voters have. So ask yourself these questions before you even start:
Continue reading "Heather White: Getting to know a constituency" »
Each week a different PPC provides us with an insight into life as a candidate and gives us a flavour of their own campaign and interests. If you are a candidate and are keen to be featured, please email Jonathan Isaby.
This week’s diary is written by Julia Mulligan, who has been candidate since November 2006 for Leeds North West, a three-way marginal which will be fiercely fought. A Conservative seat until 1997, it was then won by Labour, but gained by the Liberal Democrats in 2005. The Conservatives are well-placed to take the seat, having polled the largest share of the vote across the constituency in last year’s local elections. Julia is a local businesswoman.
Saturday 22nd August
Over eighty per cent of businesses in Leeds are small businesses. I run one of them and we’ve felt the impact of the recession. On the doorstep people relate to my business background but practically work is demanding, so evenings and weekends are always full on.
I get up early to spend time with my girls before picking up volunteers for the day’s campaigning. Josie, my 8-year old, is an expert deliverer. I started delivering at about her age in Otley (which is in my constituency) with my mum – I really love it when Josie comes out with us.
Today we’re in Otley delivering my latest newspaper and canvassing. We are getting a good response on the doorstep now – people want change and despite the expenses scandal, they appreciate a personal visit, particularly outside an election.
We’re also supporting a local children’s charity by delivering leaflets promoting one of Otley’s most popular community events of the year – the Otley Vintage Transport Extravaganza, which raises funds for ‘Hang on to a Dream’. I’ll be on the gate selling tickets and we’ll also have a stall.
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