I'm told Jacob Rees-Mogg has been selected as the Candidate for Wansdyke (or whatever the new seat is called). Jacob wasn't on the A List so I imagine there must be some local connection.UPDATE: The new seat is called North East Somerset. Jacob beat A Lister Ashley Gray and a female councillor from the West country. The seat is held by Labour's Dan Norris at the momnent but in the boundary redrawing it gains some Conservative areas of Bath and loses some Labour wards.
Apologies for no posts today until now. I've had a fantastic round of golf. My mother bought me a new driver for my birthday, which I was a bit nervous of using, but on the first tee I drove about 30 yards further than I normally do, and more to the point, it went straight. And so it went on. I scored only one fewer than my record round at King's Hill, but for my pains I seem to have pulled a muscle in my shoulder. Next week I get my official handicap. Sorry to bore you with all that.
...and such a common surname, too.
ReplyDeleteWhere's his stripey red and white hat and t-shirt?
ReplyDeleteNot really a good advertisement for a 'modern' Conservative party
ReplyDeleteI suppose you mean North East Somerset
ReplyDeleteAfter boundary changes it should have the tories ahead according to Antony Wells figures
Are you all suggesting that the Tory Party should start discriminating against people with double-barrelled Surnames
ReplyDeleteI have a vague memory of Jim fixing it for him to buy some shares on the Stock Exchange. Northern Dairies I think.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what Chris Watt (the local campaigner and candidate in the last two elections) did wrong?
ReplyDeleteThe new boy is going to have his work cut out against the sitting MP, Dan Norris. From my superficial impressions, he is a good constituency MP (I've seen him in Keynsham High Street on a Saturday morning after his fortnightly surgery). He's the first MP I've ever seen bothering to mix with us plebs.
Anonyrodent, is doesn't matter if he is a good constituency MP or not - if there's a swing on, he's gone.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your exclusive, Iain; this is a fantastic choice for North East Somerset. Jacob is indeed local - he grew up there and has spent every weekend there for as long as I can remember (I speak as a friend of his). I have known him since Oxford; he was active in Conservative politics then, and has been ever since.
ReplyDeleteHe has fought two elections as a PPC before as well as being an Association chairman and a tireless campaigner for Conservative councillors and other PPCs. He is also a successful businessman with plenty of experience outside of politics.
A terrific choice of a local man for this important seat. Nobody can question Jacob's love of Somerset or his work ethic. I am already looking forward to his contributions in the Commons.
I am sorry your modesty inhibited disclosure of your score or at least the number of gross pars achieved. Hope you won the money.
ReplyDeleteJacob has been round the houses for the Con Party and some would say has paid his dues. He is good on economics and would beef up the treasurt team. Good luck Jacob.
Griswold, I scored 95 on a par 72. My best score previously on the course was 94. But I got 42 Stableford points, which indictaes my handicap should come down somewhat from its present 28!!!
ReplyDeleteMogg Junior allegedly canvassed in a Rolls-Royce with his nanny in Central Fife in 1997!
ReplyDeleteNow I see the purpose of the A List!
Absolutely nay fookin chance of winning this seat.
ReplyDeleteHmm..I used to live in Wansdyke, when it was Tory Jack Aspinwall in the chair. Can't see this Tory-boy winning it back however..
ReplyDeleteHold on, hold on- Dan Norris a good MP? Is is the biggest Labour clone I have ever had the misfortune to know about. His only campaign issues in 2005 were the Bath Spa Project (suggesting that Bath split from his area as the council costs to much, ignoring the fact Bath subsidises his area through tourism revenue), and the fox hunting ban. He very nearly lost, and was annoyed at the LD candidate who did the terrible thing and actually called him out.
ReplyDeleteI also know that he refuses to speak to some people in his surgeries, if he knows they are not supportive of him, and he frequently asks planted questions in PMQs.
I am not a Tory member. But, please- get rid of him!
I have never met JRM, but have seen him around and on the TV. He is bright and intelligent - in a bookish kind of way - and would make an excellent advisor. He is also well networked (in an 'old school tie' kind of way). He is also very posh, has a plumby voice and comes across as a little arrogant I seem to recall. But I am sure he has his fans - so let's give him a chance. The point is, fact that he is rich, posh and might have once canvassed with nanny in a roller (no evidence provided of this accusation though) shouldn't preclude him from public service. If we were to discriminate against every person who comes from this kind of background, we would be guilty of the worst kind of inverse political correctness. Either we belive in a level playing field or we don't. I do hope he gets some new glasses though!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure he'll be very sorry not to have the endorsement of BNP supporting facists like PhoneCamFoolery
ReplyDeleteAs it is Sunday some pleasantries - if permitted. Well said Adrian. Jacob is clever. If/when Howard Flight returns, he and Jacob will make a good treasury team and they would excell at exposing our incompotent profligate social engineering Chancellor.
ReplyDeleteIain, 95 is an outstanding round 0ff 28. Expect a swingeing cut to 22, We have a word or two for your type - 1. Ringer and 2. Sandbagger. At current rate of improvement you can close the blog in 2012 and join the Seniors circuit. You will make a lot more money.
Golly Piers, this is exciting! Another accountant/broker/lawyer (delete where appropriate) has been appointed to safe Tory seat xxxx in xxxxShire. How whizzy! And he so looks the part. Gosh. I am jolly well going to rush out and be part of his jolly exciting campaign team. I sooo wish chartered accountancy was compulsory. And his papa was a senior ridiculous person in a newspaper. What a marvellous chap! Anyone for Middle England ruling the world? No? Moved on? Alas, yes Britain has moved on. Only Wansdyke appears to be left in limbo.
ReplyDeleteI remember J R-M from his Oxford Union days and I have to say I found him intensely irritating then, despite being of a right leaning inclination.
ReplyDeleteI recall there was an article in the Telegraph diary column a good few years ago where he said he was retiring from politics because "everytime I open my mouth I seem to lose votes", which was entirely believable. It appears that he hasn't found anything better to do in the meantime.
Definitely not a good advert for "modernisation".
Tim 11:08 PM - I defer to your greater knowledge of Mr Norris' track record. As a mere pleb, I was just so pleasantly surprised to see someone from our political class in person walking along the High Street.
ReplyDeleteI know I shouldn't judge by appearances, but Mr Rees-Mogg Jr looks like something out of Brideshead Revisited. And I bitterly resent dynasties, journalistic or otherwise.
This guy stands no chance against Dan Norris, I think the comment that he doesn't see constituents in surgeries is a bit of a lie as well. He has 8 surgeries a month, plus 8 street stalls, that's a lot better then the vast majority of all other MP (of all Parties). It's a shame the Tories locally didn't realise that they could of won this seat after boundary changes with a decent candidate. It just shows that the blue rinse crowd are holding us back again. I predict a narrow win for Norris, you have to remember that locally people vote Norris because his is actually local and despite often not liking the government. A missed chance - Cameron should have stepped in.
ReplyDeleteAh, but if you go to http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=people.person.page&personID=131101
ReplyDeletehe looks a) fit (from a female point of view) and b) not like something out of Brideshead Revisited/Waldo/Harry Potter.
I hear that Jacob Rees-Mogg did not even stay in Blackpool to hear David Cameron's speech; apparently candidates in marginal seats like North East Somerset were told to go back to constituencies to prepare for an election. But a reliable source told me that Jacob was seen in London - where he lives and works - on that Wednesday instead of being in the constituency, so perhaps he has thrown in the towel already.
ReplyDelete