Gillingham and Rainham shortlist revealed

CONSERVATIVEHOME revealed today the shortlist of twelve names for the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate in Gillingham and Rainham.

The list consisted of:

Tariq Ahmed

Merton Councillor, the Party’s Spokesman on Regeneration, Youth Affairs, Culture and Transport and coordinates media relations for the Council Group. Tory A-lister. Involved with the Party since 1994 and has served on the Executive of the Wimbledon Conservative Association, including a tenure as Deputy Chairman. 2005 Croydon North candidate.

Edward Argar

Westminster Councillor. Edward is currently employed as a strategic management consultant at a well-known London firm. Committed to make our streets safer and tackle anti-social behaviour.

James Brokenshire

Hornchurch MP since 2005. Has held office within the Conservative Party over a twenty year period. He was Vice Chairman of the National Young Conservatives and Chairman of Eastern Area Young Conservatives; James is also a former Deputy Chairman of Epping Forest Conservative Association.

Rehman Chishti

Medway Councillor, Portfolio Holder for Community Safety and Enforcement. Tory A-lister. Former Reh political aide to the Hon Ms Benazir Bhutto the former Prime Minister of Pakistan. In the local elections in May 2007, he came third in Rainham Central, but he had a majority of 1123 (Mike O’Brien, second, had a majority of 12 and Barry Kemp, first, 137). Horsham canididate 2005 (for Labour).

Tim Collins

(No relation to blog author). Former Westmorland and Lonsdale MP, 1997-2005. Tory A-lister. Has served as a Whip and later as a Senior Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party. In this role in the run up to the 2001 election Collins was a senior aide to the then Conservative leader William Hague. Lost seat to Liberal Democrats.

Flick Drummond

Tory A-lister. Failed to get candidacy in Hampshire East and Meon Valley. 2005 Candidate in Southampton Itchen.

Vicky Ford

South Cambridge Councillor. Tory A-lister. Worked in banking for 14 years before deciding to leave the City and get involved in politics. Birmingham Northfield candidate 2005.

Mimi Harker

Chiltern Councillor, Cabinet Member for Community, Young People and Communications. Tory A-lister. Ealing North finalist: Mimi Harker promised to give up her day job if she was selected. 2005 West Bromwich West candidate.

Maria Hutchings

Tory A-lister. Only claim to fame: left her studio audience seat to confront Blair on live TV. Disabled rights champion and reportedly racist in the blogosphere, quoted as saying “With an increasing number of immigrants and asylum seekers, then the pot is reduced for the rest of us”; Mr Blair has got to stop focusing on issues around the world such as Afghanistan and Aids in Africa and concentrate on the issues that affect the people of middle England like myself, who pay the taxes which keep the country going”; and “I don’t care about refugees. I care about my little boy, and I want the treatment he deserves.”

Julie Rook

Dover Councillor, Cabinet Member for Citizenship. Tory A-lister. Runs her own shop in Deal High Street. Treasurer of Dover & Deal Conservative Association. My source tells me she likes to be the centre of attention.

Elizabeth Truss

Greenwich Councillor. Tory A-lister. Conservative Party member for the past ten years. 2005 Calder Valley candidate and 2001 Hemsworth candidate.

Martin Winter

A former Conservative parliamentary candidate on two occasions, he is a nationally ranked slalom waterskier and keen marathon runner. Has over eighteen years’ experience in leveraged private equity transactions, advising both institutions and management teams. He joined Taylor Wessing in 2001 and leads its UK leveraged private equity group.

Interestingly twice PPC Tim Butcher has not been shortlisted. Neither has Craig Mackinlay, who last week received the public support of former Liberal Mayor Dai Liyanage.

The publication of this list on ConservativeHome at 14:29 upset some people who had applied, were unsuccessful and had not yet been informed. This was not down to me or the association, as we played no part in the publication of the list. I decided to publish it here after it was published on ConservativeHome – who receive a substantially larger number of visitors – as the list is now in the open. I can only apologise to people who did not make the list, and have not yet heard from the association, for finding out this way, but we are unaware who passed the list on to ConservativeHome – although I am guessing it was CCHQ.