What I Find Surprising About the Caroline Righton Unpology*

I see that Matt Davies is reporting that Tory PPC for St Austell and Newquay Caroline Righton has issued an unpology. If fails to apologise for the email she sent in response to the Tweet that was reported to her but adapted somewhere along the way from Stephen Gilbert's original. All this while pledging to fight a clean and positive campaign.

What I do find strange is that this A-Listista PPC should take two weeks to get to this stage and still not issue an apology, merely shuffling around that this is some misunderstanding. Cardiff Blogger (formerly of the same party) reports that 'a person rather high up in the Conservative Party (who shall remain nameless)' told him within 3 days of a similar misuse of language he would need to issue a grovelling apology, and certain wording was suggested.This edict came in response to a complaint to David Cameron.

Considering he was only Conservative Future Chairman for UWIC and not a candidate in a tight election scrap you would suspect Ms Righton would have had even more pressure come to bear. Admittedly Stephen's agent's letter only was sent to David Cameron on the 28th October, but the story has been around the Lib Dem Blogosphere for a fortnight and gathering momentum and coverage of the sort that Central Office must surely frown upon.

Recent episodes do show one thing though, the Tories are just as concerned about attempting to control social media as Labour ever were under Damian McBride.

* Use of the word copyright Millennium Elephant

Let Me In I need to Save the Planet

Oh dear, it appears that David Cameron's Environment Guru A-Lististo Zac Goldsmith has been lying so low recently that he was not instantly recognised when he turn up at Bournemouth. According to The Time's conference diary Zac was unable to take his spot as a keynote speaker at the "Quality of Life" fringe event last night. He was still trying to negoiate the queues of people still waiting to gain their accreditation.

Tory Tax Commission Ignores Cameron

Poor David Cam...sorry...Dave Cameron is having a hard time being the leader to wag the Tory dog.

The A-Lististos have been facing mixed furtunes in the selection process. His colleagues in Scotland seem to be distancing themselves from him in the hope that a revival in their hopes is best not served by their leader in Westminster. Now it appears that the Tax Commission George Osburn set up has been unable to fit in Dave's vision.

Dave says he wants more spending on schools and hospitals, the leaked commission report says they are seeking £20bn cuts in public spending.

Dave says he wants to introduce Green Taxes, this commission reports appears not to mention any of these.

Dave has attacked Lib Dem plans for a local income tax based on ability to pay, but the commission reforms do not mention any new proposals for local taxation. (Well there's a surprise. Not!)

After the sucess of the Lib Dem tax commission and radical tax policy agenda put before conference this week the Tory one looks like producing 'policy' that would undoubtedly be referred back if put to a Lib Dem Conference vote. Thankfully for Dave he doesn't face such democracy in his party.

So after all the rhetoric of Cameron it appears his own party is not happy and instead is looking for £20 Billion cuts in public spending and not shoring up their leader's new agenda.

Looks like a case of Vote Blue get exactly what you'd expect. Isn't it time you told us the truth Dave? Looks like that tiger hasn't been able to change his or his party's spots at all.

A-lististo Selected but Does not Increase Diversity

I have previously condemned the A-listisos contesting Folkestone and Hythe for that their lack of impact to replace Michael Howard during the nomination process. However, the final three were Harriett Baldwin, Damian Collins and Laura Sandys, A-lististos all, sa.

Harriett was PPC for Stockton North in 2005 and is a pensions and investments manager for J P Morgan, Damian was candidate for Northamptonshire North in 2005 and is managing director of an advertising, part of M & C Saatchi and Laura is the Chair of OpenDemocracy and daughter or the late former MP Baron Duncan-Sandys, Churchill's son-in-law.

So did the people from the seat of the former leader take a radical step and ensure a mature woman with a business background should follow in the steps of Michael Howard.

Nope they went for Damian who like Howard they have selected another officer of the Bow Group. Howard was Chairman in 1970 and Collins was Political Oficer in 2003.

So he is white, male, an establishment Conservative and at least nine years less experience than his female competition. Just how experienced does a Tory woman have to be to get selected?

A-Lististo Spokesperson Fails to Secure Seat

Anne McIntosh MP for the Vale of York, which is disappearing under boundary changes, and Tory spokeperson on Work and Pension has failed in her bid to gain selection for Selby. In another blow for Chameleon Dave's A-Lististos not even potential Government ministers, who already have Parliamentary experience, can fend off local candidates such as Nigel Adams.

A-Lististo Not Quite a Tigger

The most wonderful about Tiggers is I'm the only one.

from Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too

Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones A-Lististo and now Conservative PPC for Chippenham has had his Tigger credentials to be the only Black Farmer in Britain exposed by the Grauniad today, although fellow Lib Dem blogger Paul Walter got there first.

Just for the record Wilfred David Mwanaka grows maize, pumpkins and butternuts in Essex, and is another Black Farmer who farms in the UK.

The A-List and 4Rs

The author of Mrs Dale's Diary (former candidate for Norfolk North, former David Davis campaign manager, apparently named by London Evening Standard's Power People list as one of the top 200 most influential people in London, yet not one of the top 100 Tories not yet in the House of Commons) visited this site yesterday evening and left a comment I would like to answer if I may.

Mr Iain Dale said about my comment that only 2 A-List candidates had made the Folkestone and Hythe shortlist:

This is utter bollocks. It is simply not true that only 2 of the 20 in Folkestone are A Listers. I don't know where you got that from.

Well if Mr Dale had bothered to open the link that cited that very fact he would have seen it led straight to a Torygraph article on 9 June were a Conservative spokesman (please note the gender specific epithet) in denying that Adam Rickett's failure to make this list was a failure for the A-List said:

Two other priority candidates, including Simon Walker, a former media adviser to the Queen, and Priti Patel, a former Tory press officer, had gone forward to the next stage of the selection process at Folkestone and Hythe.

Now as Mr Dale has been unable to either provide a different number or another source I'll have to stand by what is out in the public domain. However, if he is willing to articulate errors in my arithmetic I will read what he has to say and write it up. After all as a Liberal Democrat I'm determined to lead by example with the 4Rs of Education.

A-List Equals Abysmal List

A prime Tory seat that of former leader and Home Secretary Michael Howard has selected only only 2 of Chameleon Dave's A-List of candidates in their short list of 20, that's TWENTY candidates. That is a one in ten chance of a A-lister which are worse odds (2 in 3) than in Bromley and Chislehurst where the local party failed to select an A-lister.

Most high profile of the failures is Adam Rickett the quintisential mincing metrosexual candidate from the list that is trying to promote diverty within the conservative Tory party.

However, the former Coronation Street star should have seen it coming when the Chairman of the Folkestone and Hythe constituency Conservative Association made his views clear in the Telegraph on 1st June:

"I think it is unlikely that Mr Rickett will advance much further in the selection process in Folkestone & Hythe, which is a very traditional Conservative seat."

Considering that traditional Tory seats are the sort of seats that the high profile, and on some occasions highly qualified A-listers need to take to have a lasting effect in Parliament shouldn't the opposite be true if the Tory party have truly taken young Dave to heart. Maybe he should revert to his full name David William Donald Cameron until he can convince the traditionalists at the core of his party that he is on their side.

Update

In the comments below Iain Dale pointed out that the number of A-Listers quoted in the Torygraph is erroneous and he has since advised me that he personally knows of six A-Lististos on the Folkestone and Hythe short list. We wait to see if the A-Lististos can break their duck in established seats, not effected by boundary changes, in the selection process.

Have Tories Given Up on Winning Already

Ok my understanding of Dave's A-List was that these people would have to apply for the party deemed to be their top target seats. However, in today there is a report that the uptake is slow for the first 35 seats.

The article says that the target seats for priority candidates will in future include only those constituencies that the party has a realistic chance of winning. Apparently the first trance of 35 seats are mainly Lib Dem held and the Times says we will hard to shift or else have a sizeable Labour majority. Hardly the talk of a party expecting to form the next Government.

There is also bad news for the A-Lististos. One of the hottest tickets, Finchley and Golder's Green local party (of course part of Margaret Thatcher's seat) where there is only a 741 Labour Majority are not going ahead with their selection despite numerous applications. They want to go ahead with a local candidate not on the A-List who will need the approval of Central Office.

With Bromley and Chiselhurst also seeking to select a local candidate on Thursday another plum seat looks out of reach of the 100 best Tories not in Parliament. Maybe they should practice their croquet more, as that appears to be the current way to get a plum job with no responsibility.

Tory A-List 31-40

Sorry for the break in this series but I've been having braodband difficulties at home. And the other night after 35 minutes on the phone to Mumbai they finally confirmed what I tild them in the first minute of the call that my modem was dead, deceased, fallen off this mortal coil, no more. Anyway after a number of enquires into what I'd found out I'm pressing on with the remainder of the list.

Vicky Ford: Stood for Birmingham Northfield in 2005, see is also a councillor on South Cambridgeshire District Council. In the Telegraph last November she was one of 16 women to sign a letter supporting Cameron as the only hope of the Tories to win over women voters (also signaturies fellow A-Listers Angie Bray, Jane Ellison, Pauline Latham, Amanda McLean and Laura Sandys). She hit the news over a lap dancing club billboard in 2004, for the record she was complaining not appearing in the poster. However, another of her campaigns was about changing the way planning permission for mobile phone masts is carried out.

Jackie Foster: Was MEP for the North West Region from 1999 but was only placed 4th on the list for 2004 thus losing out when the Tories only returned 3 for the region. However, like party leader David she is shortening her name from Jacqueline. She was considered one of the least Eco-Friendly MEPs by friends of the Earth in 2004. She may have to sharpen up her Greenish if she is to become a successful chameleon in the new model Tories.

George Freeman: Was Candidate for Stevenage in 2005. Although he hasn't left mush of a google-trail.

David Gold: David was Candidate for Brighton Pavillion in 2001. He hasd served as William Hagues diary secretary and is another gay man to make the list.

Zac Goldsmith: The son of the Late Eurosceptic founder of the referendum Party Sir James Goldsmith, Zac is the Editor of Ecologist Magazine and is Co-Chair of the Environment Policy Group. He certainly has Green credentials having donated £5000 to the Green Party candidate's campaign in Stroud last May some of the 3056 votes gained might have been better used in turning over the 350 majority by which his new party came second. But he has since said 'A Conservative who is not also in his heart an environmentalist cannot legitimately be described as a Conservative'. Start making your lists now of who's therefore not a legitimate conservative.

Ashley Gray: Has twice stood for Cornwall South East in 2001 and 2005. But though there was a Conservative swing he remained static against Liberal Democrat Colin Breed who actually increased his majority. He has signed up for a number of green campaigns in the region, even getting a mention by Tim Yeo in a debate on wind farms but is listed as a Eurosceptic.

Andrew Griffith: Is also a two time candidate Corby in 2001 and 2005. He is a media consultant. The Telegraph listed him as one of 23 Faces for the Future last year and was one of the authors of Direct Democracy - Agenda for a New Model Party in June 2005.

Andrew Griffiths: Has been Chief of Staff to Hugo Swire MP and worked for Teresa May, PPC in Dudley North in 2001 and European candidate in 2004 4th on West Midlands list although he had also gone for the Welsh list. He currently works for Neil Parish the South West Conservative MEP as his name appears on the website imprint.

Laetitia Gunn As Recess Monkey has pointed out Laetitia is the daughter of Bill Cash and as such has been on Tatler's most invited list. She was PPC for Salford in 2005 having previously been rejected by Wyre Valley with the cautionary statement from local group leader Stephen Cree 'She came to interview, but the association felt she was not at the standard we wanted. We had far better candidates and we selected the best'. Their best either dispite or because he was male failed to unseat Dr Richard Taylor.


Sam Gyimah: Was CBI Entrepreneur of the Future in 2005 and is co-founder of Clearstone, he previously worked for Goldma Sachs. He was born in the UK but raised in Ghana in a single-parent household and is another black candidate on the A-List. He has also edited From the Ashes - The Future of the Conservative Party last year. He was President of the Oxford Union in 1997 from where he graduated in PPE.

Tory A-List 21-30

Ironically Eric Forth who was adamantly opposed to Dave Chameleon's A-list, so much so that he had stated his intention to stand on at the next election aged 64 or 65 to prevent one of the chosen few taking his plum Bromley and Chiselhurst seat. Now it seems very likely that an A-Lister will be parachuted in from somewhere for this secure Tory seat. Possibly one from our next installment of details of the most Toryish Conservatives not currently in Parliament. Especially as this set of 10 is bookended by two former MPs.

Numbers 21-30:-

Tim Collins CBE Was MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale from 1997-2005 when he lost to Lib Dem Tim Farron. He had been press secretary to John Major during the 1992 campaign. He has been a Tory Whip and Shadow Treanport and Education Spokesman. He is a Doctor Who fan and has appeared on several TV progammes discussing the show. But that is not sufficient reason to vote for him I think it is every Lib Dem Doctor Who fan's responibility to ensure that Tim spends more time with his dearly returned Doctor and tardis. He has already been mentioned on comments at Political Betting a a possible successor for Eric Forth in Bromley and Chislehurst.

Mark Coote: Has been candidate for Hastings & Rye in both 2001 and 2005, where he was just over 2000 votes away from winning from Labour's Michael Foster. He was endorsed by East Sussex and Romney Marsh Hunt to unseat Foster, but to a large extent it was Foster's vote going to the Lib Dems and not to Coote that made their contest so close.

Peter Cox: Was PPC for Exeter in 2005.

Caroline Dinenage: PPC for Portsmouth South 2005, however the Portsmouth Press seem to think that by reducing Mike Hancock's majority to 3,326 she made it a strong challenge and there was me thinking 404 in Edinburgh South was tight. She is the daughter of TV Presenter Fred Dinenage and lives in Portsmouth with her half-Spanish Royal Naval Officer Husband. She runs a marketing company with her mother, and she became the youngest ever Winchester councillor in 1998 when she was first elected, she did not stand for re-election this year.

Cllr Antonia Dunn: The Wandsworth Councillor stood for the Welsh seat of Cynon Valley in 2005. Her family has lived in Wandsworth for over 20 years.

Jane Ellison: Pendle PPC in 2005. She also stood in the 2000 Tottenham by-Election (to, for Barnsley East and Mexborough in 1997 and for Barnsley East in the 1996 by-Election.

Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones: He is Britain's only black farmer with 30 acres near Launceston and was Entrepreneur of the Year at the Black Enterprise Awards 2005 for his Black Farmer brand. He recently wrote in the Times about the need for ethnic diversity in the Tory Party.

Dr Richard Evans: Was PPC for Hendon in 2001 and 2005. He is one of a number of names being mentioned a possible London Mayoral candidate.

Suella Fernandes: Was candidate for Leicester East in 2005, she is a trainee Barrister, educated at the Sorbonne in Paris and a school governor not bad for a 25 year-old. She is of Asian descent her father being raised in an India and Kenya her mother Uma has served as a local councillor and was Parliamentary candidate in the Brent East by-Election in 2003 and previously had stood for Tottenham in 2001.

Howard Flight: Was the MP for Arundel and South Down from 1997 to 2005 who was famously deselected by Michael Howard when Flight was honest about Conservative spending cuts prior to last May's election; although he later regretted his choice of words.. He had served as Shadow Economic Secretary to the Treasury 1999-2001, Shadow Paymaster General to 2002, then Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury for the remainder. He had also served as Deputy Chairman of the party. He too like Tim Collins has produced speculation about possibly succeeding Eric Forth.

Tory A-List 11-20

Continuing from yestersday's start to delve into the backgroud of Chameleon Dave's A-Team. Here are the next 10 in alphabetical order from the hot 100, take care pop pickers.

Karen Bradley: Former CCHQ policy officer and Manchester Withington PPC 2005. She was one of the carefully named candidates that the Tories put up against Labour members and although she did not win some say she may have affected the result against Keith Bradley. She is a mother who works for the party part time as a policy advisor on Crime and the Metrolink. She has since stood for the Tories in Teddington, for Richmond Borough Council where she is from.

Angie Bray: Is a Member of the Greater London Assembly. A former journalist she was head of Broadcasting for the Conservative Central Office in the 1992 and 2005 General Elections. As mentioned earlier, she is a stand out candidate, irrespective of gender, according to William Rees-Mogg.

Steve Brine: Runs a Hampshire PR business and is a former Tory spin doctor and ghost writer of articles and speeches for the party leaders. Brine was also responsible for the Tories 2001 Election Website. He is a close associate of Dave Chameleon. Although he was the area agent over the troubled Southampton Itchen selection of a non-approved candidate for 2005.

Fiona Bruce

: Is sadly not the Dead Ringers lampooned newreader but was Small Businesswoman of the Year 2003. Famously became 2005 Warrington South PPC after winning open US sytle all electors primary. She is a family lawyer and features in Sandra Howard's campaign diary.

Sharon Buckle: Was number 4 on the East Midlands European list in 2004. Less well publicised by our Tory friends is that she narrowly beat UKIP and held on to her deposit in Liverpool Walton in 2005.

Dr David Bull: Is a regular TV Medical expert and author must famously for his appearances on Newsround.

Conor Burns: Twice PPC for Eastleigh 2001 and 2005 against our own leadership candiadate Chris Huhne. He was the first Tory gain on Southampton Council for more than a decade in 1999, where he has lived since 1991. He is a fellow Northern Irish guy seeking to make it in UK politics.

Martin Callanan MEP: Is an MEP for the North East Region since 1999. He has previously stoodfor Tynemouth 1997, Gateshead East 1992 and Houghton & Washington 1987.

Pam Chesters: Bristol West PPC in 2001. She is the Chair of the Royal Free Hospital Hampstead and prior to that worked for BP for 20 years and was Chair of Duckhams Oil. She was a Camden Councillor from 1999-2000.

Damian Collins: 2005 candidate for Northampton North. He is the managing director of an M&C Saatchi company and has contributed to the Cameroon's Little Blue Book.

Tory A-List 1-10

Ok so I got curious and started to do my background checks on Dave's hot list of stars for the next election. But with my analytical technique this may take longer than expected so in alphbetical order here are the first 10 and some interesting titbits about each of them.

Caroline Abbot: PPC Sheffield Heeley 2001, PPC Barnsley East and Mexborough 2005 and Euro Candidate Yorkshire and Humber 2004 is from Sheffield.

Cllr Tariq Ahmad: PPC Croydon North 2005 is of Kashmiri descent from London, where he serves on Merton Council.

Dr Amar Ahmed: PPC Manchester Blackley 2005. Is a family GP who has been used in the past a Conservative spokesperson on Health although on occasion by means of stealth.

Clive Allen: PPC Devon North 2001 and Somerton and Frome 2005. Only 808 votes short of Lib Dem David Heath's small but increasing majority despite attempts to gain the support of the local UKIP branch and then trying to convince voters they had not stood when in fact they had.

Louise Bagshawe (Mrs Louise LoCicero): Is an author and screenwriter who was Young Poet of the year in 1989 and President of Oxford University Rock Society. You may have read her own comments on making the A-List in last weekend's Sunday Times.

Harriett Baldwin: PPC Stockton North 2005.

Steve Barclay: PPC Manchester Barkley 1997 and Lancaster & Wyre 2001.

Cllr Gavin Barwell: Until this month Operations Director for the Conservative Party now working for Lord Ashcroft Deputy Chairman of the party advising on winning targets seats. Former special adviser to John Gummer MP. Counillor in Croydon.

James Bethell: A founder of the Ministry of Sound and Tooting PPC in 2005. Who even the Telegraph pre-empted as an emergence of Luvviedom to the Tories as far back as 2004. Although for an inclusive A-List he has some interesting views on disability.

Nicholas Boles: Head of Policy Exchange and Hove PPC in 2005; which he narrowly failed to win. He is an openly gay Tory who founded a DIY store and is a former Westminster councillor, one of the Notting Hill set.

Tories Ton Up

Well the Tory a-list appears to have been completed by Tim Montgomerie at Conservative Home. He writes more about his search and the secret society more commonly know as the 'modern' conservative party in yesterday's Grauniad.

More a Dave not convincing Code than any connection to Leonardo. Mind you with Tony looking to go nuclear we may have to beware mutant turtles.

Analysis to follow now that there are 100 names.

The A-List: Mission Disastor

Times columnist and new convert to blogsphere William Rees-Mogg has today added his concerns about David Cameron's so called A-List.

His first concern is that the Tories are saying they are for open politics yet have still to publish this list. Lord Rees-Mogg like the rest of us has had to rely on Conservative Home for the news as it leeks out. Currently there are 67 names available there.

He has also looked at the make up of the list, it does reach the objective of being over 50% female. However, he is disbuting the calibre of the women on that list. He singles out Angie Brays as the only female candidate who would be ideal for almost any seat. Considering the news that another woman on that list Sayeeda Warsi has sparked her own little bit of controvery regarding differences in what she is telling her white and Muslim audiences about terrorism.

But the calibre of candidates criticism is not solely aimed at the women. Rees-Mogg also points out that only one third of the list fought a constitunecy in 2005. These as he points out are people who are used to the grat of political campaigning, something he doubts the minor celebreties on the list are prpared for. Also by not recognising the support of the 400 who have stood before in this elite list those turned aside are being asked to graft without even a slim glimmer of acheiving a prize.

But very startling is the location of the A-List, 40% London centric, one Welsh, very few with rural connections. Rees Mogg doesn't even mention Scotland in his breakdown but it may be even worse than Wales. If these people are currently largely not experienced campaigners their lack of assosiation with the 100 key seats will only add to their ineffectuality in campaigning.

Lord Rees-Mogg finishes his article today with a very telling remark.

Francis Maude's grand strategy is beginning to look like a failure.

Who's Who on Tory A-List

Instead of shouting it from the rooftops with pride Conservative Central Office are keeping quiet about who exactly is on their A-list of 100 candidates being primed for their most winnable seats.

However, news of this nature never takes long to seep out. Iain Dale, who's not on the list, has rather nicely provided a link to Tim Mongomerie at Conservative Home who is keeping tabs on people as and when they become know.

As of 12:50 on 11 May there are 36 names on the list.

From the showbiz world Corrie Star Adam Rickett (future MP for Weatherby) is joined by Ministry of Sound founder James Bethell. There are also 2 Tory-Party Vice Chairmen, 2 MEPS and former MP Howard Flight.

Apparently one of the female half of the list is Maria Hutchings who famously challenged the Prime Minister, regarding education provision for her autistic son, live on Channel 5's Wright Stuff during last year's campaign.

The fact that Flight is on the list in interesting. He was ousted by then leader Michael Howard as the Arundel and South Downs candidate only a few weeks before last year's General Election, because of comments about Tory spending plans. So is David Cameron planning that the Tories can change to win by taking on the package off-loaded by his predesessor?