POLITICS: Britain becomes that little bit more representative
All women, gays and ethnic minorities now vote Tory
Telly titch triumphs
A sort of silence had descended onto the selection battlefield as the forces of right and left hunkered down in their bunkers, waiting to return to combat next year. Then from the swirling mists came a scream, joined by others far more dreadful, as trads learned that the forces of extreme-moderation had won a great and terrible victory. Yes, Wantage's association by a two-thirds majority chose Ed Vaizey (Mr Esther McVey) to be its next candidate. Of the two seats held by retiring Tories that have selected, both have gone to ‘modernisers’ (Toby Ellwood in Bournemouth East is the other blushing hopeful). Television's Hon Eddie has through the op-ed pages of The Guardian and The Times led the flagellation of the party for real and imagined sins — urging more horrifying treatment for the purging of rightwing wickedness. The party is too white, too posh, too exclusive, too male, too inexperienced, too narrow in who is selected — says the St Paul's & Oxford-educated, former CCO-employed, sometime PR/marketing type son of a life peer. Mr Vaizey is 34, fought Bristol East in 1997 and appears on TV.
He beat a Portilloite-dominated crowd. Kit Malthouse, canditorial ingénue Greg Clark and Maria Miller were in the last four. Mr Malthouse, 36, who fought Liverpool, Wavertree in 97 and is deputy leader of Westminster Councillor, looks like the sort of well-fed chap that could be relied on to be reliably loyal in more ruddy-cheeked days. Nonetheless this chartered accountant (who labours under the nickname Kit S**thouse because of his trencherman build) has connections with the Portilloite heart of darkness. Liverpool College and Newcastle Uni-educated Mr Malthouse is married to Tracey-Jane, the former girlfriend of Mark MacGregor, the Tory chief executive. Also falling by the wayside was Cantab-educated Greg Clark, 35, the head of the Conservative Policy Unit (and current employer of Tracey-Jane), a former SDP activist and special advisor to Ian Lang. Apparently Dr Clark — for he has a PhD from the LSE in management or somesuch economic goobledygook — has a strange habit of throwing away books after he’s read them. The Snake has no particular objection to this activity as long as manifestos go the same way. He has previously been an Open University lecturer and Beeb employee. Now, despite some fine and dandy policies championed by IDS at conference, he stands on the technocratic wing of the party.
The solitary chick to get through to the final, Maria Miller, is in her late 30s, a Director of Rowland Saatchi and a chairman of Wimbledon Conservative Association. This LSE graduate fought Wolverhampton North East in 2001. In the longer list were Portillista Amanda Sater (Luton N), a Notting Hill based director of an internet company and blonde poppet Elizabeth Truss (Hemsworth, 2001), who weighs in at 27 years. Surely this Miss Truss is not the same Miss Truss, who as a representative of Oxford University Lib Dems told the 1994 Lib Dem party conference, ‘I agree with Paddy Ashdown when he said everyone should have a chance to be somebody, but only one family has the chance to provide the head of state. I cannot agree with that. We don't believe people should be born to rule’. A republican? A former lib-dem? Surely mistaken identity. Not in today’s Tory party.
Don’t know, don’t care
Late breaking news: Jeremy Hunt has been selected for Surrey South West, Virginia Bumley's super-marginal cabbage patch. He beat (consult the last Snake venom-spit for details on all three) Tim Charlesworth and Mark Page. Mr Hunt remains an international man of mystery to The Snake. I can’t claim to be overly impressed with Surrey SW either, and their less than Tory decision to hold a selection round on Remembrance Sunday.
The After Eight mints of candidate selection
Some more Euro-news from the South West. Neil Parish, a right-wing farmer and MEP since 1999, was rightly voted to the top of the list. Last time he came 4th — his elevation has much to do with his energy and, dare one say it, star quality. Second, is Caroline Jackson, a federalist MEP since 1984 and the wife of Robert, the retiring MP for Wantage. Her high-standing is due to her effectiveness rather than her views; third, comes Giles Chichester — son of Sir Francis. He has been an MEP since 1994, is rightish and hardworking but has had his charisma removed in some set-aside scheme. Fourth place sees new boy Richard Graham, a banker from Cirencester, which means that The Earl of Stockton, an MEP since 1999, is pushed into fifth place. He looks set to lose. Alexander Stockton as you would expect is a pro-European Macmillanite and a huntin' and shootin' type. He paid for what was perceived as his laziness. With the coming retirement of Lords Inglewood and Bethell, the Tory Euro benches will be much more, well, common.
Second home in Humberside anyone?
Seat watchers will be pleased to know that flinty James Cran, the MP for Beverley & Holderness, a Maastricht rebel and Thatcherite who had little affection for The Baroness has decided that he will stand down at the next election. This brings to five the number of Tory MPs who are exiting voluntarily. The 58-year-old, who was first elected in 1987, leaves a puny majority of 781 (1.7%) over Labour. Cripes.
London, it’s not my kinda town
Some other moron can do the 11 mayoral dwarves, I’m off to the undergrowth for a good long slither — time to shed the old skin, and come back anew. In the meanwhile, should any of you have anything interesting to tell me, you know how. Right, I fancy a curry . . .
— The Snake
CandidateWatch, November 29, 2002 11:56 PM