Rehman Chishti has this afternoon been selected a Tory PPC for the highly marginal seat of Gillingham. At the last election he was Labour candidate against Francis Maude in Horsham. He beat off a very strong shortlist, which included James Brokenshire MP and ex MP Tim Collins, so to anyone alleging a fix, think again. No doubt some people will be up in arms that someone who has been in the party should get a plum seat like this, but they should get over it. He was selected fair and square and everyone should now back him and do whatever they can to ensure he becomes an MP and helps David Cameron win a majority.
Note: please don't make me put comment moderation back on
57 comments:
Good for Rehman. And good for his opposition candidates too. A defector is surely a gift in such circumstances? Unreliable, er to a fault.
My son plays various interminable Rayman games - or he used to anyway - these involve the eponymous Rayman going on various quests. But the games always end with his failure ...
Sad but true.
"ex MP Tim Collins"
I thought you said 'strong' short-list. Gillingham is a long way from the lake district. Perhaps no one there realised what a cock-up Collins made of Westmorland?
Just remind me, what were you saying about party defectors earlier this week?
I bet that is why Shaun Woodward got a Cabinet post...so he would not defect back and demand his Witney seat
Iain, this is the most brilliant selection so far this year. Clearly it was fair and square and will so enhance the reputation of the Party.
With his experience in fighting the chairman Maude, he will have no difficulty in acheiving a 10,000 majority at the general election.
Perhaps this is as a compensation Prize for losing Davies to Brown last week. Also their may be a handful of Labour Defections as a Bonus Prize.
I know their will be Hundreds of Tory supporters wishing to offer their services to Gillingham.
Rehman Chishti, ha ha heard of him now. What an asset he will be here in Kent. Sounds like another snout in the trough. At least Bob Andrews gives a bit of value. Have we not got ENOUGH "welsh" here or more accurately one to many.
Like you say, selected fair and square. Those who bleat about Association independence should respect their decision on this one.
Good luck to him!
What's the matter with the Conservative Party? I've just googled this chap - honestly, they clearly don't want to win an election do they?
The other great thing is that Alex Hilton of Recess Monkey, who is desperate for a Labour seat and hates Chisti, will go green knowing he is to be an MP
"some people will be up in arms that someone who has been in the party should get a plumb seat like this" - is this really what you meant to type?
A reference perhaps to the chap chosen in Ealing Southall for your side who, it is alleged by some, is not a party member...
IAIN !! Would you like to remind us all on what you said about Defectors, only recently.
Perhaps you have changed your mind on your ill feelings towards Defectors?
Is this just spiteful revenge against Brown for his display of the Tory defection this week.
He was selected fair and square? In an association where he is an officer? And after having been fast-tracked onto the A-List at the expense of men and women who have worked for years for the Party? You're having a laugh, Iain.
The Camerroonies are a laugh full stop. You can see why you are -4% in the Polls.
Iain I understand why you feel the need to warn the starry eyed romantics about expressing there love of truth and political honesty . There has been little place for it in the MSM for a while and if blogs are going to be any use we shall all have to get used to using the same ultra cynical tactics as the ogre dictator Brown.
There is so much at stake the country and everything that runs through its veins are under direct assault by this evil sightless night mare creature . He has already lied thrice before the cock crowed (at least.)
The “Talents “ drafted in will meet twice a years and will have no power whatsoever. All Governments take expert advice so typically an old practice has been spun into something new chillingly supposed to be the “National “ Government of the People". His laughable claim to be able to accept criticism will not survive mention of the name Frank Field and he will not rule by cabinet as there is noone in his cabinet that can threaten him. Obviously he has lied about the EU Constitution as well which may make three. The horrific disdain he has for everything reasoning and reasonable is indeed Stalinist and if he fools the electorate this time then he will bodge together a version of PR designed to crush all opposition forever. A National Government of the People is his aim , what use then for opposition ? Light up along the Watchtowers . Shout the alarm!
I just hope Conservatives are starting to realise that it is up to all of us to stand together against the threat Brown poses to the country and everything good and true in it ,If as Prime Minister Golda Meir put it we have to “Negotiate with our values” in the face of this barbaric threat then so be it. Clearly the Labour Party has no further purpose than the gathering of power to the state and themselves. They have truly earned our disgust. I wonder sometimes if I belong to the same species as carrion feeding fellow travellers like Chris Paul and the rest of the chirruping apologists
There are going to be many odious tasks to out up with but Brown simply must be beaten by any means.
Its odd that at my age I see now that my father was not a fool , thank god for the Queen . There is still that well of affection to poison before the pig can squat comfortably on his trough. I thank god I am still a subject of her majesty and not a citizen worker for the Peoples National Government .
Hmmm... So when/if Quentin Davies crosses the floor again, back to his spiritual home, he should be, let me get this phrase right, 'Welcomed with open arms' ? I can't quite see it somehow...
"He was selected fair and square and everyone should now back him and do whatever they can to ensure he becomes an MP"
Rubbish. People should sit down and take a good long look at what he professes to believe in, and on his track record. They should then make an informed decision on whether he is worth voting for. Not adopt the 'vote for a monkey provided it has a blue rosette' approach.
Going by his own explanation in the Western Mail, it would appear he switched because he expects a Cameron government to be more leftwing than the current Labour Party. One hopes the voters of Gillingham will bear that in mind when casting their votes.
If Mr Chishti is unsuccessful, will he then defect to the Liberal Democrats on the "third time lucky" principle?
Maybe this is a new concept in politics: musical chairs candidates. Chishti deserves nothing but derision.
iain I thought you were at the diana concert! that bad?
Mr Chishti has lived locally for most of his life and is a Tory councillor since May. He is really more of a local candidate than an A list one.
Here is what he has to say for himself:
http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/features/tm_objectid=17286219&method=full&siteid=50082&headline=why-i-switched-sides-name_page.html
"It was also this authoritarian Government which proposed the Glorifying Terrorism Bill. As a barrister I don't know what this is supposed to mean."
That is however a sad statement, especially in the light of him being a barrister and well acquainted with the extreme ideology of his own religion and original nationality, and the carnage that leads to internationally on a regular basis. If he is picky about the shape the act has been drafted in, sure, there is room to argue. To simply quip that he has no idea what 'glorifying Terrorism' could pssible be is unprofessional and shows that he is really not suited for public office. He is no asset to the Tory party, sorry :(
Gah -- 'V' in the previous comment was, making a typo.
STOP PRESS
If Dave had any hopes of getting Tom Watson on board, those hopes are now dashed - he has now rejoined GB's government.
Oh. I thought this chap was standing in Grantham and Stamford...
Can you imagine Maggie leading a standing ovation for Tony Blair?
Just what does Dave think he is doing?
Just what is the point of voting for this miserable shower when that is their idea of opposition?
Google him and you will see that he is very conservative: green and to the left of Blair.
Will he run to the LibDems or Labour when Cameron is outed?
hahahahahaha
another nail in the coffin
This creep cant even fake sincerity
a real no no for a politician.
He makes cameron look like nelson mandela
Smell the sincerity
http://youtube.com/watch?v=lsS56Umohb4
Just look at the thumb outside fist gesture.
Despicable wannabe.
I bet he would join the BNP if he though he would get elected.
This makes me really angry.
I am sure this young man has all the requisite qualities that one would expect, and that the selection was fair and square.
But my main beef is that someone who has so recently been campaigning against the party - and indeed seekeng election against them - can be considered to have had enough of a history within the party to qualify him.
What does this say to the foot soldiers who slog their guts out for a decade but are denied the chance to stand?
For example, I know one guy who went before the Parliamentary selection board after joining the party in 1988. He has held just about every position in his association, until he moved abroad for work. He came back three years ago, and has only just settled in a constituency - but decided to go before the selection board on the basis of the fact that he has been active in Tory politics since the late 80's.
But he was told he didn't have enough 'history' to be put on the list! It seems they ignored the 15 years 'history' before he went away!
I hate to ask, but I wonder if the real reason this young man got on the list (not the seat - which is a different matter) was because he fits the profile of the kind of person the party needs to look more inclusive. If so, then it is tokensim, and wrong.
It is also double standards. The party can turn one guy down for not having enough history, yet have another who has much much less history because his face fits!
At least, that's what I see in this anyway.
"If Mr Chishti is unsuccessful, will he then defect to the Liberal Democrats on the "third time lucky" principle?"
WHAT!? In the Liberal Democrats?
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
He'd have a better chance in Plaid, the SNP, the DUP or Sinn Fein.
At least he is a Barrister...there is a real shortage of lawyers in The Commons now it is filled with industrialists and former soldiers and such.....what this country needs is more Barristers in Parliament
I'd question the assumption that Gillingham is really such a plumb seat. If I remember correctly, a defeat for Bob Marshall-Andrews was called on election night before he slipped back by a handful of votes. Surely the party should have won the seat in 2005. Why did he survive? Apart from Bob M-A being a 'popular' figure, the constituency is natural UKIP territory populated by the kind of voters who are not necessarily natural Cameron sympathisers. From the anecdotal evidence I'm hearing, the alienation from the party seems to be growing in that part of the world among the kind of skilled working class voters you'd expect to be natural Conservative voters. They hate Labour and the Lib Dems but they just don't buy Dave. Yet...
What is a 'plumb seat' ?
Thats another seat to add to the total of about 200 Brown will win in October. Tories will soon be looking back on '97 with nostalgia!
Why was James Brokenshire going for it? It's a bit of a vote of no-confidence, isn't it, in the Party's chances next time is a sitting MP doesn't think he'll get back in?
Why has the comments link been removed from the crying child post?
The only sane response is despair.
It should, of course, be a "plum" seat and I would have expected Iain to know better. But, then again, who cares?
Of course there was no fix.And the moons made of cheese!
James Brokenshire's seat has been eliminated because of boundary changes, that is why he is applying elsewhere.
He makes cameron look like nelson mandela
What, like a convicted terrorist who wears bad shirts to endear himself to gullible politicians?
This is pathetic. This guy is about 14 years old, only joined Labour in 1997, and has been in the Tory party for less time than it takes me to boil an egg.
He now advises Maude only two years after trying to defeat him!
His defection smacks of opportunism of the highest order.
His rapid rise through Tory ranks smacks of political manipulation to get a Asian face in a blue rossette - and makes the Tory party look superficial, desperate, unprincipled and expressing really poor judgement.
This is the man who claims his main reason for defecting was Iraq! Yet, he stood for the Labour party as a candidate two years after the war - and has defected to a party which supported the war!
Go figure that one out!
This guy has been parachuted into this seat - or at least, has been put in a position where he stood a better than average chance of winning the nomination. Go here to see more http://donalblaney.blogspot.com/2007/06/atta-ur-rehman-chishti-public-service.html
I hope he loses. We don't want these people. It merely encourages disloyalty and irriates the real party supporters.
I wouldn't expect this to be moderated, it is a reasonable and widely held opinion.
carpetblagger; trouble is, try saying that too loud and you get accused of racism!
This is simply wrong though. Same as Louise whatshername!
"James Brokenshire's seat has been eliminated because of boundary changes, that is why he is applying elsewhere."
Thanks, Steve. I did think it was strange. Now I understand.
"There is a real shortage of lawyers in The Commons." You've put your finger on it, CCTV.
tim collins was such a screw up in lonsdale, what he left behind had to be euthanised.
Most of the above posts are from NuLab trolls. (Chris Paul and his catamite, operating from a back room in Labour HQ)
For the few whining Tories, I have this message: Shut the f*** up and get out of the way.
If we can get someone who has been in the party for two weeks to win or get a good result in a By-election, then we should embrace him/her.
Romantic ideas about true blue candidates should be shelved. We need to get into power. Once in power, we can afford to be "fair and generous".
Beebopper. Sorry, I am a Cameron supporter, and understand the need to be pragmatic, and have quality candidates!
But appointing Johhny Come Lately's as a bad thing.
Yes we need to win, but hacking off activists to play social engineering doesn't do anyone any good.
To win an election you need letter stuffers, door knockers and telephone canvassrers. Treat them with too much contempt and no matter how good the candidate, you won't win a fig as you will have no workers.
I am sure this guy is a great potential MP, but he should have been told to have a go for the election after next when he has got a bit more time under his belt and has proven his loyalty!
In the lst election I was spat at by Labour activists just for being a Tory. I wouldn't be too willing to be going out canvassing for them now simply because they have switched over.
Just because someone has a past doesn;t mean they cannot have a future - but he should spend some time proving himself. The party would have been wiser to recognise this and say 'not yet'!
"Romantic ideas about true blue candidates should be shelved. We need to get into power."
Utter, utter ballacks. Anyone with such a power-mad, power-above-else, get-power-even-if-it-means-shafting-every-belief-and-ideal-you-have attitude immediately marks themselves out as unfit to be allowed anywhere near the machinery of government.
Unfortunately of course, I accept that does rule out most MPs, but we already knew that...
Your parties are so interchangeable these days - who cares?????
Congratulations to Rehman, he's a hard worker as I well know from my experience in designing the council group's website. He'll be one of the hardest workers of the next general election I am sure. He's burning out his shoes on local campaigns already and I would only advise him to invest in a few pairs before getting going on a parliamentary campaign!
bebopper: For the few whining Tories, I have this message: Shut the f*** up and get out of the way.
Why? Cameron is on his way out and this guy is to the left of Cameron. It is reasonable to ask: how long will he stay?
We need to get into power..
So compromise with Von Papen...you can always send him as Ambassador to Turkey after you entrench yourself in power.....
the Austrian was in power for 12 years with this approach
Adrain Yalland - I think thats a fair and balanced response. The truth is that much may have to be sacrificed in order to win and we cannot afford to be the only Party with delicate principles . Its an old problem but there has only ever been one solution.
Unity.Loyalty and determination to do waht is required.Brown simply has to be beaten
>What is a 'plumb seat' ?
One that is vertically aligned? :-D
newmania; Glad I made some sense. I am trying to be fair and reasonable on this point.
The difficulty is that unless you leave a party for for another party which stand NO chance of being elected (i.e. UKIP or the Lib Dems) people always suspect the defection is not for principled reasons, but a power chase.
In this case, the feeling is fuelled by the reasons he gave for leaving, which still seem somewhat incredulous. To leave Labour over Iraq for another party which supported the war and would have done the same is a bit odd. To say Iraq is the reason when only a few months earlier you were standing for election for Labour TWO YEARS after Iraq was invaded is odder still.
This is nothing personal against this young man. It is just that this decision makes it appear as (1) he has no firm principles beyond securing his own election, and (2) there is no consistency on who gets onto the approved list, and who doesn't.
Deciding who gets on the list is a thankless task, and the Assessment Board deserves credit for the fact they work for nothing and do a great job 99% of the time. They balance a number of competeing pressures well.
But this decision is just too premature and he should have gotten more time under his belt, even if only to show solidarity with the hundreds of foot soldiers who slog away for donkey's years yet get no-where!
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