One local Tory was who present at the selection told ConservativeHome that the “biggest single difference” between the two final candidates was that “he promised to return to the constituency” before the next election.
They are a mixture of Conservative-held seats and targets.
“There’s been a clear trend, over a long time, for MPs to be local champions, rather than distant representatives of capital or labour in Westminster.”
Will local Associations select insiders or councillors? The answer in this latest case is: both.
Downing Street and CCHQ will be perturbed by the continuing run of men being selected in the safer constituencies.
Paul wrote for ConservativeHome last year, arguing that since “traditional conservative voters no longer want to vote Conservative” in the so-called Blue Wall, “then a return to traditional conservatism may be just what’s needed.”
The tendency in recent Tory selections has been to pick people with long-standing ties to the constituency over those one might consider “big names” or “SW1 insiders”.
If the Opposition take office next year they will inherit a very difficult situation. If MPs haven’t dipped their hands in the blood of a Starmerite programme, ill-discipline may be the result.
It was the case that, according to a local source, Davis was a “hard-working local champion” and that “no candidate could have shifted local members”.
A local Conservative source suggests that Graham Brady’s constituency should be considered “hyper-marginal”.
She was up against Rob Wilson – MP for Reading East between 2005 and 2017.
According to local Conservative sources, Purbrick “won on the first ballot” in what was a “well-attended” contest.
He will be familiar to some readers as the former Chief of Staff for George Osborne between 2006 and 2015.
Local Conservatives described a slight air of “bewilderment” on the night when Robertson was joined by fellow members of Bembridge sailing club that he had signed up for the express purpose of voting with him.
Politicalparties should proactively identify and nurture individuals with outstanding leadership potential, even if they don’t come from local backgrounds. Great leaders – like Winston Churchill – can effectively represent constituencies beyond their birthplaces.