All new Tory Party: only investment bankers, Lloyds brokers, and management consultants need apply

There has been an unprecedented response to yesterday’s blog regarding the Conservative shortlist for Brighton Pavilion. This blog was accused of taking ‘cheap shots’ at the six prospective candidates.  I promise not to take any cheap shots at them in this post.  I’ll leave them to do that themselves, by quoting from their own blogs or those that will have their blessing.

Charlotte Vere is the ‘Chairman-elect’ (sic) of the Conservative Women’s Organisation. On the CWO’s website is a report of the launch of the Richmond Park CWO which was, you will be relieved to hear “a resounding success”.  The report says “With 30 ladies in attendance and after a sumptuous buffet lunch, the group heard from the Association Chairman, Cllr Pamela Fleming, who organised the lunch, then from the Chairman-elect, Charlotte Vere. Lady Annabel Goldsmith has agreed to become President of the CWO Committee”.

Scott Digby has made the most impressive start, having launched his own website  he appears to have the most professional campaign.  Well, why not.  He is a management consultant.  “One of my clients is the Conservative Party where I act as their Commercial Director, managing their procurement processes, suppliers and the commercial side of the conference activity”. He has already engaged with this blog, providing a robbust and amusing response to last night’s blog which commented (took a cheap shot, actually) at him changing his name from Scott Seaman-Digby to plain Scott Digby. He signed his comment “Scott Whatever-you-wish-to-call-him”.

Mary Weale is joint MD of Lloyd’s Insurance Brokers, and clearly a candidate in search of a constituency having been included on the Hammersmith shortlist. In 2004 she was beaten by Sir Malcolm Rifkind, the former foreign secretary, when trying to become candidate in in Kensington. After that selection meeting one of the younger members of the association, Paula-Ann Hawkins said she was impressed by the youthful Ms Weale. “The average age in there was about 70. You could say Mary has youth on her side and she is so good she has time to get another seat. You could say that he [Sir Malcolm] had age on his side tonight,” Ms Hawkins said.

Last night I reported that Anna Firth has been described as “a leading campaigner” for better early years education. However, she started off her career in the City where she worked as investment banker for two years before changing to become a Barrister. She was called to the Bar in 1991 and specialised in medical negligence law (although it is unclear whether she represented victims or insurance companies).

Douglas Chirnside, as reported last night, is a TV producer. Does anyone know what else he has produced other than “Sex and Shopping”? (That is a cheap shot, BPB).

Finally, there is local Tory Boy, Andrew Wealls. Well not that local., having moved to Hove in the last couple of years from London. “Andrew Wealls worked in the investment management industry for almost 20 years, most recently at Barclays Global Investors where he gained experience in portfolio management, client relationship development and business planning and management”.

Investment bankers, an insurance broker, a barrister, a management consultant, and a lady who does scrumptuous lunches (while not forgetting Sex and Shopping) – this is David Cameron’s new Conservative Party, opening up the selection process to all comers. Thank goodness it doesn’t look like the old Tory Party that was made up of investment bankers, Lloyds brokers, and management consultants.  Nice one, David!

Brighton Pavilion shortlist reveals Tory class divide and prejudice

The Conservative Party has announced a shortlist of six candidates for the General Election campaign in Brighton Pavilion.  And in so doing it has revealed what a class-divided Party it is.

First there is Scott Digby (or is it Scott Seaman-Digby?), the national Tory commercial director.  Why would he possibly have wanted to drop the Seaman from his surname.  It hasn’t held him back when becoming Leader of the Conservative Group on the London Borough of Hillingdon.  Then we have fellow London Tory councillor, insurance broker Mary Weale, who represents the good folk in the London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

No 3 is Charlotte Vere, a former finance director, now chief executive of Big White Wall, a charity for those with mental health problems.  She is joined by Anna Firth, who has been described as “a leading campaigner” for better early years education, and by Douglas Chirnside, a TV producer.  There was a TV producer called Douglas Chirnside (a common name amongst TV producers, I am sure) whose finest work was a series called “Sex and Shopping”.

Finally, there is someone from Brighton (you remember Brighton?  This election is for a Brighton seat!). Andrew Wealls was the Tory candidate who was beaten by Alex Phillips in Goldsmid in a by-election in July. I know Andrew and like him.  He is a decent, hard-working chap.  If selected he could put in good effort, but is hardly going to set the campaign on fire, especially against Nancy Platts and Caroline Lucas.

More interesting is the absence of Mary Mears and Maria Caulfield, two very strong female candidates, well-known and well-respected.  Either could out-flank Nancy and Caroline, not least on the Council estates in Brighton Pavilion.  Their omission from the shortlist is evidence of the deep class division that runs through the local Conservative Party. This division exists on the City Council where Mary Mears (Open Market) defeated Geoffrey Theobald (Brighton College) for the post of Tory Leader and, consequently, Leader of the Council.

From my point of view, the omission of Mary and Maria is great news as their selection would have almost guaranteed a Tory gain. The Conservative Association, led by the hapless Carol Ramsden, has handed Nancy and Caroline a head start, first by selecting Dr David Bull who then stood down, and now possibly Scott Seaman-Digby-Weale-Vere-Chirnside-Firth IV of the Royal London Borough of Uppity Class, as its candidate.

It may yet be a straight fight between Nancy and Caroline.  Bring it on.