Friday, February 05, 2010

In the Final for East Surrey

ConservativeHome has posted the finalists for East Surrey HERE. As you will see, I am among the six contenders, and very proud to be so, as it is quite a strong field. It's an area I know well, as I live just over the border in Kent.

I hope you will understand if I don't give this blog my usual attention over the next eight days, as I turn my attention to preparing for the selection meeting next Saturday.

42 comments:

Anonymous said...

Best of luck, Iain. You deserve it. Would gladly vote for you if you stood in my constituency.

Anonymous said...

Good luck with that Iain.

BOF2BS said...

All the very best. I hope you are selected.

You'd have my vote as well!

Anonymous said...

All of which beg the question of how you can blog seriously if you become an MP.

Is being an MP less onerous than trying to be one?

Off topic I see that the NI settlement is being accompanied by an £800 million sweetener. Just where is this money being sprung from?

JP said...

Entirely agreed with torylandlord. Enjoy the next eight days!

Anonymous said...

Good Luck Mr Dale.

Unknown said...

Good luck Iain....

Paul Halsall said...

Don't be Rory-stewarted again!

Down with Hobbits.

Paul Halsall said...

@Trevorsden. Obviously if Iain becomes an MP, the nature of his blog would change.

He could not be quite such a gadfly.

If he gets selected, watch others try to angle for his space.

Anonymous said...

Good luck.

Tim Johnson said...

Goodluck, I don't know much about the other candidates, but I think you would be a great addition to the Parliamentary Conservative Party.

Iain Dale said...

Paul, I was Philip Lee-d, not Rory Stewarted!

Anonymous said...

I hope you don't get it Iain - I'm a great admirer of your blog and publishing interests, and I don't think your contribution to our nation's political life would be nearly as effective as a backbencher than it is now.

I also think you're too myopic when it comes to the nonsense about an English Parliament - a surefire way to break up the UK, much more effective even than Labour's awful devolution tampering.

Keep up the good work reporting on the beggars from outside, rather than taking the shilling and toeing the line.

P.S. There's no one more wannabe than a wannabe MP...

Colin said...

I hope you get it, Iain. It's my old constituency, and my parents still live there. You'd make a fine representative for such a traditional Tory heartland. All the best!

Iain Dale said...

Colin, If they are party members, do encourage them to attend the selection meeting!

Desperate Dan said...

According to the Evening Standard "..many Tories were privately impressed by Mr Blair's recent performance before the Chilcot inquiry.."

Please tell me that's not true.

strapworld said...

Good luck, iain. May I suggest you take a leaf out of King Alfred's book, as shown by David Dimbleby's excellent new series.

Conand said...

'The Road to Surrey East - The Story of the (Somewhat Prolonged) Early Political Career of The Lord Dale.'

Break a leg Iain! :)

Sean said...

The shortlist seems to have 2 or 3 who have led a largely political life. I'm not sure they would have made my shortlist.

Helen Hughes said...

Good luck Iain

Magical_Mist said...

Best of luck Iain! My fingers are crossed for you

Iain Dale said...

Sean, I hope you don't include me in that reference. Yes, I have done a lot of things in politics, but I have started and run seven companies too.

Brian said...

Good luck Iain. Surprise the selection committee with some good ideas from The Liberal Party of Australia. If Dave borrowed a few ideas from Tony Abbot the Tories would double their lead.

Sean said...

No, Iain, I don't.

I don't *always* agree with you, but I think you'd make a very good MP. You have a good combination of inside knowledge and real world experience, as far as I can tell.

Anonymous said...

Best of luck, Iain!

Unknown said...

best of luck iain, the tory party would be richer for your presence on their benches

Anonymous said...

Good luck Iain.

Unknown said...

Go for it Iain! My mum lives in Oxted, wipe the floor with the others! I will bring a band screaming fans to any talk or meetings you attend. Go for it!

Daily Referendum said...

Good luck Iain!

Demetrius said...

Swot up on the old County Regiment.

DOCTOR WHY said...

I am also a great admirer of your blog, just like IvorBiggun. However, I hope you DO get it, Iain, as I believe you would be an excellent MP. You are also correct in your view re an English Parliament, regardless of what IB thinks. And I say that as a Scotsman!

Best of luck to you!!

Torontory said...

Good luck from this side of the pond too.

Bird said...

If you don't win, don't give up and certainly don't make any negative statement while the disappointment is still fierce.
In my own proffession, I've known a couple of people who gave up applying for promotion after several disappointments.
I'm sure they regret now that they didn't persevere and, in your case, further applications won't get in the way of your normal professional activities.
Having said that, good luck for Surrey East.

Anonymous said...

Best of Luck!

Hope you get the nomination!

It is good to see you going forward, having a go and maybe you will become PPC and voter willing MP!

Politics need folk like you, when you do the newspapers i tend to stop what i am doing and listen. The same with Mathew Parris.

Unknown said...

Best of Luck. You are the type of person we need as a MP

Anonymous said...

Best of luck - hope you win

Billy Blofeld said...

The seat will go to Sam Gyimah - purely because he/she was president of the Oxford Union once.

That's how politics works isn't it?

Ellee Seymour said...

Good luck Iain, I believe you would make a great MP too. It's really tough when you are up against so many other great Tory hopefuls as well. I would love to see you help modernise parliament.

Osama the Nazarene said...

Good luck with your attempt I'm sure Parliament would be all the better for your presence as an MP as long as you desist from being "lobby fodder". Parliament's gain would be your reader's loss.

But surely they need a Chelsea supporter as MP - :)?

Osama the Nazarene said...

Following in the footsteps of one G Howe of dead sheep savagery fame!

Simon Lewis said...

Good luck Iain. Hope you get selected.

Terry Justice said...

Terry Justice.

Best of luck, Iain.