Here are three more shortlists for candidate selections in key seats taking place this evening::
Birmingham Northfield (Labour majority 2,509): Association members will select tonight from a shortlist of two:
- Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst (pictured, top right): A medical practitioner in Birmingham, and a former British Army officer, Shastri-Hurst has written several times for this site on both health and defence. He has previously stood for election in the South Yardley ward on Birmingham City Council, and serves as Deputy Chairman of Edgbaston Conservative Association.
- James Bird: A former Birmingham City Councillor, Bird contested Birmingham Hall Green in the 2015 General Election. In his day job, he is a Director at Remarkable Group, a strategic communications consultancy.
Hove (Labour majority 1,236): Narrowly gained in 2010, then narrowly lost again in 2015, the local Conservatives are looking confident about winning Hove back this time. The candidate selection takes place tonight, Friday 28th April, from the following shortlist:
- Kristy Adams: The owner of a design firm, Adams was shortlisted in Hove back in 2014, and then shortlisted in Faversham and Mid Kent in 2015. She is a former Bedford Borough Councillor and has in the past served as Conservative Area Chair for Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire. Adams is also a school governor and a campaigner against modern slavery.
- Clarence Mitchell: Journalist turned PR consultant, Mitchell acted as spokesman for the McCann family in their search for their missing daughter. In 2015 he stood as Conservative candidate in the Greens’ stronghold of Brighton Pavilion.
- Jeff Townsend: A public affairs consultant, Townsend previously worked in Parliament, for Mark Lancaster MP and then for Pauline Latham MP, and takes a special interest in mining and extractive industries. In 2015 he contested Sunderland Central for the Conservatives.
Leicester West (Labour majority 7,203): Solidly Labour for decades, this is one seat where their majority on paper flatters their true position – or so local Tories are hoping to demonstrate come June. The association selects its candidate tonight, Friday 28th April, from a shortlist of three:
- Jack Hickey: A primary school teacher, Hickey has been chairman of City of Leicester Conservatives since last September. He is a De Montfort University graduate, and serves on the national committee of the Conservative Education Society. In 2015, he narrowly missed out on being elected to Leicester City Council.
- Jackson Ng: A barrister, Ng fought Liverpool Riverside in the 2015 General Elections. He grew upin several countries around the world, and read law in London. Jackson also serves as the Director for the Conservative Friends of the Chinese, and as Deputy Chairman of Beaconsfield Conservative Association.
- Edward Yi He: Born in China, Yi He came to the UK at the age of 18 to study Engineering at the University of Birmingham. After graduation, he worked at the Tata Steel plant in Aberavon, and contested the Aberavon constituency in the 2015 General Election. He has lived in Leicester since 2013, and works locally in aerospace manufacturing.