To see all of our reports on shortlists, nominations and selections from the past few days, click here. Thanks to the help of many of our readers, ConservativeHome has been first for selection news, ahead of the national press. If you have any information to share on who is up for selection and where, please click here – all our sources are strictly anonymous.
After the early days of shortlisting, there was a rush of high-profile selection meetings last night. Plus, more shortlists and candidate renominations are coming out each day. Here is all the latest candidate news:
Candidates selected
Barrow and Furness (Labour majority 795): Simon Fell: Having previously run his own small business, Fell now works as director of a fraud-prevention not-for-profit. Born and raised in Lancashire, he contested the seat in 2015 and fell only a few hundred votes short of unseating John Woodcock. His mother, father and grandfather all worked at BAE, a major local employer. Fell was reselected unopposed last night.
Bishop Auckland (Labour majority 3,508): Christopher Adams, who contested the seat in 2015, was reselected unopposed yesterday. 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.
Brentford and Isleworth (Labour majority 465): Mary Macleod: The former MP for Brentford and Isleworth was a management consultant and adviser to the Queen before entering politics. Following her election defeat, she became a Special Adviser to David Mundell, Secretary of State for Scotland, and then pursued various business interests. She defeated James Cracknell and Christopher Salmon in last night’s contested selection, winning in the first round of voting.
Clwyd South (Labour majority 2,402): Simon Baynes: A former Partner at JP Morgan Cazenove, Baynes was a County Councillor in Powys from 2008-2012. He contested the Welsh Assembly constituency of Clwyd South in 2016, and previously fought Dwyfor Meirionnydd in 2010 as well as Montgomeryshire in 2005. He won a contested selection last night.
Ealing Central and Acton (Labour majority 274): Cllr Joy Morrissey: A councillor in Ealing, representing Hanger Hill ward since 2014, Morrissey is the former shadow portfolio holder for health and adult social services. She currently works as Events and Network manager at the Centre for Social Justice, and is a former parliamentary assistant to Angie Bray, the ex-MP for the constituency. She was a list candidate in last year’s London Assembly elections, and won through against Hammersmith and Fulham Conservative Group Leader Cllr Greg Smith in a selection meeting last night.
Hornchurch and Upminster (Conservative majority 13,074): Cllr Julia Dockerill: A Conservative Councillor in Tower Hamlets since 2014, where she represents the ward of St Katharine’s and Wapping, Dockerill works in Parliament as Chief of Staff to Mark Field MP. Born and raised in Essex, she was co-author with Field of the books The Best of Times and Between the Crashes, and is currently working on a social and economic modern history of London called London in the Noughties. She saw off strong competition from Shaun Bailey AM and Simon Jones last night to win the selection on the first round of voting.
Ilford North (Labour majority 589): Lee Scott, who held the seat from 2005 until being narrowly unseated in 2015, was unanimously reselected last night. He told his local paper that he hadn’t intended to stand in the next General Election but had been persuaded to put his name forward after receiving “over 200” messages from his former constituents urging him to do so.
North East Derbyshire (Labour majority 1,883): Lee Rowley. A former Westminster City Councillor, Rowley contested this seat in 2015, cutting Natascha Engel’s majority. He formerly worked for the Centre for Social Justice, and was reselected by the local association last night.
Nottingham South (Labour majority 6,396): Jane Hunt. Having fought Leicester East in 2010, and the Leicester South by-election in 2011, Hunt made the final in the Northampton South selection in 2013 before going on to stand in Nottingham South in the 2015 General Election. A former caseworker for Nicky Morgan, she has worked in the civil service, for a charity and in the private sector. She won a contested selection process last night, defeating Jack Tinley.
Richmond Park (Lib Dem majority1,872): Zac Goldsmith. MP for the seat from 2010 until the 2016 by-election, when he stood as an independent and was defeated by the Liberal Democrats, Goldsmith is an outspoken opponent of Heathrow expansion, and former editor of The Ecologist. After his defeat in the London Mayoral election, the by-election added insult to injury, but he is now hoping to return to the fray in Westminster, having defeated Laura Farris and Luke Parker in the first round of voting last night.
Tatton (Conservative majority 18,241): Esther McVey. The former Wirral West MP and Minister for Employment won the selection in George Osborne’s former seat on the first round last night, winning through against Cllr Alex Williams and Katherine Fletcher. However, the seat could be abolished in a few years in the planned boundary reforms.
Worsley and Eccles South (Labour majority 5,946): Cllr Iain Lindley. A councillor for Walkden South ward, in the constituency, on Salford Council, Lindley contested this seat in 2010 and 2015. He works for a housing association in Greater Manchester, and was reselected unopposed last night.
Shortlists in key target seats
Birmingham Edgbaston (Labour majority 2,706): This seat has the unusual distinction in British politics of being continuously represented by female MPs since 1953 – most recently by prominent Labour Vote Leave supporter Gisela Stuart, who is standing down. Edgbaston voted 53 per cent Remain, and had a UKIP vote in 2015 larger than the Labour majority. The Conservative Association will select their candidate on Friday 28th April from the following shortlist:
Westmorland and Lonsdale (Lib Dem majority 8.949): Held since 2005 by Tim Farron, the Lib Dem leader, this seat would be a dream gain for the Conservatives. According to Chris Hanretty’s estimates, the constituency probably voted 47 per cent Leave to 53 per cent Remain, so there ought to be a sizeable vote who don’t share Farron’s hope that Brexit will go away. The Conservative candidate will be selected tonight, Thursday 27th April, from the following shortlist of two:
Selecting tonight
Chorley: shortlist and candidate biographies here.
Enfield North: Nick de Bois – uncontested, biography here.
Harrow West: Hannah David – uncontested, biography here.
Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland: shortlist and candidate biographies here.
Sedgefield: shortlist not yet disclosed.
Westmorland and Lonsdale: shortlist and candidate biographies above.