ConservativeHome reveals the full slate of 71 candidates, standing in every region and nation of the UK.
Who will stand? Will Tory incumbents run again? Is there capacity to fight a proper campaign? What would the message be?
Will many candidates want to stand, given the popular anger about such an election even happening?
The next candidate on the list ought to get the job, given that Party members voted for him. But some appear to be arguing for him to be skipped.
Open primaries should not be subsidised by the taxpayer – but Conservatives should still try to hold them
By Mark WallaceFollow Mark on Twitter. Yesterday, the results were announced of the ballot ranking candidates for next year's European elections (ConHome was, of course, first to the news and the full lists were published here). There are two questions that arise from the process, (aside from the absurd rule by which candidates are forbidden from campaigning): […]
By Mark WallaceFollow Mark on Twitter. Today the results of the selection ballots for next year's European elections are announced, and candidates learn if they made the list and if so in which position. Our congratulations to those who have succeeded and commiserations to those who did not do as well as they had hoped. We've been […]
By Mark WallaceFollow Mark on Twitter. Annoyingly, the term "Taliban" has gained currency as a vague political insult – often, I suspect, used by those who lack the gumption to call anyone a Nazi. One example of the tendency comes from Vince Cable this morning, discussing the Bank of England. Another comes from a Conservative MEP – […]
By Mark WallaceFollow Mark on Twitter. By now, all Conservative party members should have received their ballot papers for the selection of MEP candidates to stand in next year's European Parliament elections. We've covered various of the regional shortlists over the last few weeks, but for the record here is the full list of all the candidates […]
By Mark WallaceFollow Mark on Twitter. We now have full shortlists for the European Election lists in the North East, North West and Yorkshire – along with information on the first hustings at which party members can quiz the candidates before ranking them. Here's a reminder of the selection process: first, the regional selectoral college decide which […]
By Mark WallaceFollow Mark on Twitter As if any further proof of grassroots dissatisfaction were needed, I've just been told by two sources that Richard Ashworth MEP – the Leader of the Conservative MEP Group in the European Parliament – and Marta Andreasen MEP – who recently defected from UKIP – have been deselected as candidates for […]
By Mark WallaceFollow Mark on Twitter Following Scotland's selections last week, the North West and London have now carried out the first stage of selecting candidates for next year's European elections. Readers may need a reminder of the slightly obscure process: first the regional electoral college choose the shortlist. If sitting MEPs are reapproved at this stage […]
The process of selection (or re-selection in many cases) of candidates for the 2014 European Parliament elections has begun. Most constituencies are still going through the first stage, of selecting which candidates will make the list, before going to a full postal ballot of party members to choose the order in which they will be […]
By Tim MontgomerieFollow Tim on Twitter Yesterday the Tory list for the next European Parliamentary Elections in 2014 was opened. Please get in touch with the Conservative Party's Candidates Department if you think you'd make a good MEP. There should be a good number of vacancies… Since the last election two MEPs have left the Conservative […]