Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Central Suffolk and North Ipswich - local Tories need not apply..

Gosh, our local Tories do know how to have a good time! Whilst in South West Norfolk, the local Conservative Association has imploded over the question of Liz Truss's affair with Mark Field, somewhat closer to home, the final shortlist for the 27 November open primary for my neighbouring constituency of Central Suffolk and North Ipswich has sparked off a more basic but no less intriguing dispute.


If it was indeed the case that Sir Michael Lord's retirement was a case of jumping before he was pushed, it hasn't gone quite to plan, as the shortlist excludes all of the local applicants, including the Leader of Mid Suffolk District Council, Tim Passmore, and two senior Suffolk county councillors, Jane Storey and Guy McGregor. So much heat has this generated that the Conservative Group on Mid Suffolk District Council has written to the East Anglian Daily Times to complain about, in particular, Tim Passmore's exclusion.

However, the final shortlist (Katy Bourne, Timothy Clark, Joanna Gardner, Daniel Poulter, Dominic Schofield, and Claire Strong) has been selected by a five-strong group from the local Conservative Association, advised by Eric Pickles, and they claim to be happy with the shortlist. One presumes that they'll be receiving a few less Christmas cards this year... and I suspect that the Liberal Democrat PPC, Andrew Aalders-Dunthorne, was chuckling over his breakfast this morning...

A quick glance at the shortlist is interesting, notably for the presence of Joanna Gardner, daughter of Baroness Gardner of Parkes (think tough Aussie battler and you'll know who she is). Otherwise, there appears not to be a single candidate with any connection to the county, so if you see a rather confused person wandering the streets of Mendlesham or Wickham Skeith, asking about farming or social exclusion, you'll be able to narrow it down to one of six people...

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