click on the image to enlarge
On September 14th, the Conservatives are using an Open Primary to selected a mayoral candidate in Bedford. A mayoral by election has been caused by the sad death of the previous incumbent, Frank Branston. The contest is particularly significant as it will be the biggest electoral test for the three main parties between now and the election. Anyone in the Bedford area is eligible to stand. Bedford itself is a key Labour-Conservative marginal, so there will be more interest than usual.
And I, dear reader, have the pleasant task of grilling the shortlisted candidates at the Open Primary. I'm rather looking forward to doing it!
So if you live in or around Bedford and fancy your chances, the details of how to apply are listed on the advert above, which has appeared in local papers there.
15 comments:
Apparently Eric Joyce - Bob Ainsworth's pps has resigned
The willingness of the Tories to innovate in response to recent events and trends is one of the only glimmers of reassurance from this party.
The absence of New Labour is another.
Well done whoever has made these decisions.
Who are they BTW?
Mayors should be clones of the Mayor of Doncaster.
http://www.annaraccoon.com/politics/the-maverick-mayor/
Whilst the parliamentary seat might be a Tory/Labour marginal, the Lib Dems came seond in the last mayoral election and won the majority of votes in the recent local elections.
Would I want to be Mayor of Bedford? Certainly not - I've been to Bedford. What other towns are available?
Yet another kick in the teeth for the party's membership, activists and local elected representatives.
No good will come of this nonsense and the sooner we see the back of Cameron and all of his PR spiv Labour Lite rubbish, the better for the Conservatives and the Country.
I am sorry that you are dignifying and legitimising this appalling exercise with your presence and input Iain.
It is really amusing that the Tories are very keen on "Open" Primaries in marginal seats, where they can be used to promote their candidate during "selection" but we have yet to see such methods being used in seats where they weigh the ballots of the winner.
The winner of the "Open" Primary should have the costs of this bean feast added to his/her election expenses, for it is principally a promotional matter if it is much like Totnes:
http://quietzapple-musing.blogspot.com/2009/08/open-primary-by-post-in-totnes.html et seq
Norfolk Blogger is wrong. In the last mayoral election the conservative candidate came second, going on to the run off against the independent. The Lib Dem came third. Also in the recent local elections the conservatives gained an extra 5182 votes overall compared to the Lib Dems.
You do of course have to live in the Borough.
I assume you're advertising it here because there not been quite the deluge of respondants hoped for?
Iain, could you ask a very relevant question for me?
Why did the people of Stoke-on-Trent sign petitions to gain an elected Mayor and then sign many more petitions a few years later to remove the whole Mayoral system in favour of Leader and cabinet?
Could it be that an elected Mayor will bypass 90% of elected Councillors and their rspective opinions,render them irrelevant, thus alienating the entire City?
Why will Bradford be any different?
democracy4stoke.co.uk
Thank you.
"Why will Bradford be any different?"
Bedford's to the south ya daft lump.
Theel be mixing up Wolstanton with Wolverhampton next
Thanks for pointing out that Iain got it wrong and it was Bedford all along.
A Mayor £70K+
Leader £20K
The cost of a Conservative Council will be more than a Council such as mine that totally rejects its original thoughts and removed the whole lot of it. Why?
Because it is nothing like the London model.
A Mayoral model of local Governance,dissolves public trust and renders local opinion, useless.
Mayor's seek headlines and are untouchable for 5 years. Leaders can be removed by and at the will of Council and be dead men walking via public opinion.
Stoke-on-Trent's Mayor ticked everyone of those boxes.
Dave wants to reintroduce a Mayor into Stoke!
Dave, I know we don't see eye to eye on a few things but for heavens sake.....be reasonable.
The Socialist Republic of Stoke hated their own Mayor more than your own Party and that (trust me) takes some achievement!
The Mayoral system yet another layer of Government, sold to the people as the people's choice, but by design, relegates the public to no view whatsoever.
"Socialist Republic of Stoke"
But Gary, you got beaten by some BNP woman in last year's elections...
So which flavour of socialist republicanism are we lumbered with in Stoke?
Is it the:
1. Nu Lab - Old Etonian Mark Fisher Party, or
2. Old Lab - BNP Revivalist Party?
Just so we know lad.
http://averypublicsociologist.blogspot.com/2008/05/worst-election-leaflet-ever.html
Abbey Green Election Result 2008
(1)BADDELEY Melanie Jane BNP 858 Elected
(2)ELSBY Gary Lab 784
(3)WRAGG Andrew John Con 721
Forgive me for failing...but, here are the facts:
The BNP (simon Darby) funded that local election and overwhelmed the area. Their success was to gain a third seat in one ward for that family (Husband-a regional organiser, Wife, Sister).
I increased that vote in the year Labour collapsed around the Country.
The Conservative candidate was a Labour Party member who wanted to be a Labour MP for Stoke.
(Hague allows two Tory Parties in Stoke-one despised, the other hanging by a thread).
Every indication is that the seat will fall to Labour and 12 Months later the other two.
Labour's NEC will direct those two elections (so not my wishful thinking).
nb. The electorate are queueing up to vote out the Tory leaders of both parties. Ask them.
Post a Comment