Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has called a General Election which will take place on 4th July.
But what does that mean for the Stratford Conservative candidate selection process, which, as we have explained before, involved various Selection Committee’s, long-lists, shortlists, and interviews.
Well, with the Election imminent, all of that is now out of the window and, for the third successive candidate selection in a row, all of the decision-making power over who runs as the Conservative candidate for Stratford rests with the Candidates Department at Conservative Central Office (CCHQ) in London.
They will now implement by-election rules, meaning that they can impose a three-person shortlist of their choose on the Stratford Conservative Association, who will have no alternative but to pick one of the three.
In a safe seat like Stratford, this list will likely take one of two forms.
Either CCHQ will offer three favoured candidates they would like to have the seat, without any real preference of which wins. In this scenario, all three are likely to be parachute candidates, with no local connections. Current MPs expected to lose their seat and favoured Special Advisors are the most likely options to be put up.
Alternatively, it is not uncommon for CCHQ to offer just one favoured candidate and two much weaker candidates (also usually not local), hoping that this will help to ensure that their anointed candidate wins the selection. Often they do, but local members often know when this is happening and choose a weak candidate just to spite CCHQ.
Sadly, this would mean Stratford is stuck with a poor candidate, and therefore most likely a poor MP, possibly for years.
The one thing that by-election rules are highly unlikely to result in is a strong local candidate who understands the needs and issues of this constituency and will be committed to fighting for the interests of locals.
Both Nadhim Zahawi and John Maples before him won the Conservative selection in Stratford under by election rules.
The Prime Minister’s decision today means for the third successive candidate selection, local Conservative Association members will have a candidate forced upon them by CCHQ. It didn’t work out well the first two times and there is no reason to think it will this time.
That’s why Stratford CAN is committed to running a local conservative candidate in this General Election if the Conservative Party tries to force a parachute politician with no interest or understanding of local issues upon us.
Watch this space for further announcements.