Exclusive: @CharlesWalkerMP has resigned from the Party Board, and the Candidates Committee. The reason why is not confirmed, but I know there has been a vocal dispute on the committee about centralised influence over candidate selections conservativehome.com/parliament/201…
@CharlesWalkerMP Here are my reports over the last week on Hertford & Stortford; South Ribble; and Devizes. The candidates list are already furious at the system becoming less open, and concern among associations is rising. With an election coming they need reassurance. conservativehome.com/tag/selections
@CharlesWalkerMP Walker's resignation came a few days ago, I gather - so it's not related to today's news about calling an election. Rather it looks like part of the wider picture of discontent about parts of CCHQ expanding their influence over selections.
As @bbclaurak notes, both parties bear the scars of the way they handled candidate selections in 2017. Labour were even more centralised than the Tories - a system that made such good choices as making Jared O’Mara an MP. #slowclap
@bbclaurak 🚨SELECTION TROUBLE🚨
Brigadier Peter Sharpe has resigned as chairman of Devizes Conservative Association. Apparently CCHQ is forcing Devizes to delete three candidates from its shortlist against its will. I reported on Monday there was a tug of war...
Brigadier Peter Sharpe has resigned as chairman of Devizes Conservative Association. Apparently CCHQ is forcing Devizes to delete three candidates from its shortlist against its will. I reported on Monday there was a tug of war...
@bbclaurak People know time is tight for candidate selection, but CCHQ has a big job to do to carefully manage any acceleration in the process and clearly communicate to keep the grassroots on board. Cautionary tale from 2017 of how it failed to do so: conservativehome.com/thetorydiary/2…
@bbclaurak My exclusives on Charles Walker's resignation and the battle of Devizes have been followed up by the mighty @ShippersUnbound in the Sunday Times, who has new info on the goings on at the top of CCHQ: thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/p…
@bbclaurak @ShippersUnbound NEW: CCHQ has got its way and culled the Devizes shortlist down to three:
- @antoniacox
- @Ashley7Fox
- @danny__kruger
The centre feels that the association tried to bounce the party into accepting a shortlist of six. conservativehome.com/parliament/201…
- @antoniacox
- @Ashley7Fox
- @danny__kruger
The centre feels that the association tried to bounce the party into accepting a shortlist of six. conservativehome.com/parliament/201…
@bbclaurak @ShippersUnbound @antoniacox @Ashley7Fox @danny__kruger This means that - through no fault of their own - @rbrharrison, @DomJMorris and @Laura__Farris, who were originally on that announced shortlist of six for Devizes now are not. conservativehome.com/parliament/201…
I’ve warned many times that when the CCHQ Candidates Department mishandles selections, it risks harming candidates who face a backlash. The anger in Devizes is exactly that:
Nor, it seems, is Kruger the only candidate drawing some criticism:
