Tuesday, February 27, 2007
How to Run a Parliamentary Selection
It's tough to lose a Parliamentary selection, especially when you get to the last four. Vicky Ford's gracious post HERE demonstrates what a class act she is. It's only a matter of time before she gets selected. I was shortlisted for Tiverton & Honiton too, and can testify to the professionalism of the Association and the way it went about the selection. I withdrew before the interview for personal reasons but my impression of the local association was mirrored in what Vicky wrote. Other associations could learn a lot from them.
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7 comments:
Vicky Ford is, just as you say, so gracious and such a deeply committed Conservative. She is reaching many finals in excellent seats with a lot of competition, which shows she'll get there on merit. I met her on the candidate circuit and she is just as generous and helpful to other candidates as she comes across in person. She'll be a real asset to the party in Parliament and I hope she's selected very soon.
I meant "on her blog" not "in person".
Having had a home in the Tiverton and Honiton constituency for many years now I can pay testament to the hard work of Angela Browning. Vicky Ford is a truly outstanding candidate - any constituency would be extremely fortunate to have her as their MP. Shame to hear you withdrew your nomination Iain - best of luck to you! Lastly I have to congratulate Neil Parish who has served the region well as an MEP and who I will be helping elect as the next MP for Tiverton and Honiton!
I heard the interviews in East Hampshire were a complete disgrace. Some self-important Chairman went beyond rude and left many of the candidates feeling deeply disappointed with the procedure - not to mention the fact they'd bothered to go and participate.
I have never actually heard of Vicky Ford before this posting. However she certainly sounds charming, gracious, intelligent, perceptive and articulate on her blog. If she comes across like that in person she's bound to be selected soon and will be an outstanding candidate for any constitency - hopefully a winning one too!
Never heard of her either but what I am hearing is that there is a nasty set of females associated with the W2W organsiation who think they should be selected on the basis of gender and spend no time doing to years of work others do. According to the Mirror today this is not helping as the number of women is reducing rather than increasing.
It shows you the problem doesnt it . A few Associoations moan that they got lumbered with a useless foxier -moron and every woman must be under suspision .
This why quotas unofficial or otherwise are such a bad idea. Women say the Party must look like the country.
Does that mean "look" as if women are so inadequate that they are incapable of any achievement without special pleading ?
Question mark over Vicky Ford fair or not
Newmania
My experience of most women candidates, Vicky included, is that they do not think in the way you describe. They want to be able to look the men in the house in the eye and know they got there on merit. I do not read anything in Vicky's post which expresses the sentiments you do.
The well known problem is that there are fewer women than men who want to be candidates. If the party hierarchy decides to impose gender equality on the associations then we shouldn't take it out on the candidates-all that will do is make it less likely that able women will apply
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