As we reported a few days ago, Conservative candidate selections for the General Election will follow a number of different processes depending on the seat. Tory-held seats where the MP is standing down will have competitive selections from a shortlist of three. Target seats will also have competitive selections, unless CCHQ, the local association and the candidate all agree to reselect the 2015 candidate, in which case there’ll be a reselection vote with a sole candidate. And non-target seats held by other parties will have their candidates chosen for them by the central Party, without a vote of the association. (In Scotland, things work differently – as I reported last night.)
Many Conservative MPs have already been formally reselected by their associations, with many other meetings arranged to confirm MPs over the next few days. The latest date I’ve yet discovered is Surrey Heath, where Michael Gove will be up for reselection on 5th May, but each association is arranging Special General Meetings as fast as possible.
I’m now in a position to start publishing shortlists and selection information for a number of target and Tory-held seats. There are, of course, many other shortlists and selections yet to be concluded, so should you have any information on any contests, please do contact us by email at news AT conservativehome.com We always protect the anonymity of our sources, and any assistance from ConservativeHome readers is greatly appreciated.
Here is the latest information on selections that are underway:
Reselecting 2015 candidates:
NB to be allowed to reselect the 2015 candidate uncontested, a seat must be a “key target” according to the selection rules – though we don’t yet know whether all such seats will receive the same targeting resources.
Enfield North (Labour majority 1,086): Nick de Bois, who fought the seat in 2001 and 2005, then served as the constituency’s MP from 2010-2015 before Joan Ryan won it back for Labour, has been approved by the Party and the local association to stand for reselection unopposed. The selection meeting is planned for Thursday 27th April.
Bishop Auckland (Labour majority 3,508): Christopher Adams, who contested the seat in 2015, is up for unopposed reselection by the local association on Wednesday 26th April. He runs a technology business, and acted as Campaign Director for the pro-Union ‘Day of Unity’ rallies ahead of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum.
Candidate shortlists in “key target” seats
Where known, we have stated the dates of selection meetings. All candidates are listed alphabetically.
Darlington (Labour majority 3,158): The association will be selecting on Tuesday 25th April from:
York Central (Labour majority 6,716):
Tynemouth (Labour majority 8,240): The association will be selecting on Saturday 29th April from:
Hyndburn (Labour majority 4,400):
Great Grimsby (Labour majority 4,540):
Partial shortlists in Conservative-held seats
These hotly-contested seats will all have shortlists of three – here we publish those names we have learned so far, and will publish the others as soon as we find them out.
Chelmsford (Conservative majority 18,250): Alicia Kearns: A counter-terrorism PR specialist who, during her time at the Foreign Office, advised over 70 Governments on tackling ISIS, Kearns is Deputy Chair Political of Cambridge City Conservative Association. She now works at Global Influence, a communications agency.
Tatton (Conservative majority 18,241): Cllr Alex Williams: Deputy Leader of Trafford Council, Williams contested Stretford and Urmston in the 2010 General Election and Bury South in 2005. He has written several times for this site. The association will be selecting their candidate from the shortlist on Wednesday 26th April.
There will of course be many more shortlists and selections to come – ConservativeHome will be working hard to cover them all over the coming days.