After a false start last week, the final six names fighting it out for the Conservative nomination to replace Robert Key as candidate for Salisbury have just been named. They are:
- Victoria Atkins - Daughter of Sir Robert Atkins MEP, she is a criminal barrister who prosecutes serious, organised crime, ranging from international drug traffickers to tax and benefit fraudsters. She answered David Cameron's call for new candidates to come forward last year after a "lifetime in the Conservative Party". Read more on her website.
- Ian Axton - A former presenter on ITV News and one-time managing director of Spire FM, he now runs his own media company operating commercial radio stations in Hampshire and Berkshire. He has lived in Salisbury for twenty years and is one of those who answered David Cameron's call for new candidates to come forward last year. His wife works for retiring MP Robert Key. Read more on his website.
- Fleur Butler - A councillor in Richmondshire, North Yorkshire, with responsibility for Housing and Economic Development. She was a candidate for the European Parliament last year in Yorkshrie and The Humber, having previously managed European funded projects, mostly for the community and voluntary sector.
- John Glen - Has twelve years' business experience working across different industries, having also served as an adviser to William Hague and as Director of the Conservative Research Department. He grew up in rural Wiltshire and has family links to Salisbury going back three generations. A magistrate, he contested Plymouth Devonport in 2001 and is a contributor to the CentreRight blog. Read more on his website.
- Jeremy Quin - After an 18-year private sector career, culminating in becoming a managing director of Deutsche Bank, he was seconded to the Treasury in 2008 to help formulate the UK response to the banking crisis. He contested Meirionnydd Nant Conwy in 1997 an is a trustee of the Countryside Alliance Foundation.
- Zehra Zaidi - A solicitor who has been based in both London and Brussels, she has acted as adviser to Andrew Mitchell, having worked as a development consultant for, among others, UNICEF and the British Council, on financial reform, governance, HIV and health issues. She was a candidate for the European Parliament in South West England last year with special responsibility for Wiltshire. She has written several pieces for ConservativeHome and has blogged in the past here.
(Atkins, Quin and Zaidi were all also finalists in nearby Devizes)
The six will go before the association's executive on January 18th and an Open Primary meeting will be held on Sunday January 31st at the Salisbury Playhouse and any voter in the Salisbury constituency wanting to attend should pre-register via the local association's website.
Penny Brown, the association chairman, said:
“Together with my Panel members we are delighted with the short list of 6 candidates. It has been a long and difficult process of distillation both collectively and individually to sift through 184 CVs of strong candidates. A great privilege to have been involved. We are looking forward to the Open Primary where both members and non members will have an opportunity to make their choice.”
The successful candidate will inherit a notional majority of 8,860 over the Lib Dems.
Jonathan Isaby