POLITICS: Where are they all?
Oddly enough, it's taking longer than Trish thought it would
Slowly, slowly politics swings back into full-throttled CCO-style inaction. Torbay — once held by Rupert Allason of the turbo-powered bouffant fame — is the only seat that I'm sniffing about down-wind of. The lucky chap chosen before an audience of 120 pensioners — sorry, members — was Marcus Wood, a 43-year-old MD of a recruitment consultancy, former chairman of Windsor Conservative Association and, in political terms, an unknown quantity. His appeal to the Basil Fawlty brigade — apart from being politically anonymous — was his background as a hotelier and caterer. The cut of his cloth seems to be very much modern meritocratic Conservative: grammar school, catering college, private business, marriage plus children (Lotte and Astrid - is he a Teutonophile? The public has a right to know). Mr Wood beat two others — one is believed to be Richard Cuming, a former Torbay council leader. Christian Sweeting, the candidate last year, I have heard since my last bulletin did not put his name forward.
Nibs from elsewhere. Rob Garnham, who stood in Cheltenham last time round, put in an application to fight the seat again but has since withdrawn from the race. He says he wants to put his family and career first. Could it be that early selection is putting off people with young(ish) families, like Mr Garnham? How can you possibly nurse a seat — unless sad, or unattached, or worse of all, suffering sociopathic Lib Dem tendencies — for three or four years? But even if you get elected, it can all seem a bit of a waste of time. David Jones, the former Chester candidate, replaces Rod Richards, the independent Welsh Assembly member who resigned last week due to the affects of alcoholism. Mr Jones who was next on the North Wales regional list says he will only serve for eight months — and not offer his name again — until next May's election citing 'mouths to feed'. Yeovil is going through the selection process again after receiving a mere six applicants earlier in the year. Politics seems to be rapidly losing its appeal. Surely, the non-shifting polls aren't depressing us all? The Snake is more and more convinced that Hornchurch will fall to Epping Forest activist James Brokenshire (and promiment dampist), who is being supported by the seat's former MP and current chairman, lovely but oh so wet Robin Squire. And, of course, there are rumours that Nick St Aubyn, former MP for Guildford and PPS to S. Portillo, wishes to have a tilt at Surrey South West, Virginia Bottomley's seat. With a majority of just 861 it does not seem large enough for charming Mr St Aubyn.
There'll be more next week, and thanks to all of you who have been sending stuff my way, keep it up, you're doing it for Britain.
— The Snake
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CandidateWatch, September 15, 2002 11:35 PM