Posted by There are currently rumours flying around that Tony Lit, the failed Ealing Southall candidate elevated by David Cameron, could be heading for returning to Medway.
Apparently, the Sunrise Radio Managing Director is keen to fight Rochester and Strood at the next election, after increasing the Conservatives’ share of the vote in the July by-election.
UPDATE 23:12
Rumours confimed! This Telegraph Spy story from last week (somehow I missed it) confirms that Lit is looking to be selected in Rochester and Strood, and that he attended the open day for prospective R&S candidates.
“Rochester and Strood is where I was born, so it’s obviously dear to my heart,” Lit stated. “I would love to represent it.”
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Alan, yes it is very interesting my cousin went to school with tony Lit , and says he is a very focussed and determined person , and i would not describe his as heading for medway because he is genuinley a local lad , who has done very well for himself . great news for Medway .
Thank you for your comment, Julie.
Someone made reference to Tony Lit being a local lad, but no-one had been able to suggest that this was the case, so thank you for the confirmation.
ALAN I HELPED ON LITS CAMPAIGN , HE HAS LOADS OF CHARISMA AND IS GREAT WITH PEOPLE WHEN I MET HIM I FELT I HAD KNOWN HIM FOR AGES , I GUESS HE GETS THAT FROM HIS MEDIA BACKGROUND , AND HE IS EXTREMLEY GOOD LOOKING .
DONT KNOW MEDWAY MYSELF BUT IF HE IS A LOCAL GUY HE SHOULD BE IN THE MIX , HE HAS THE X FACTOR I SAW IT FIRST HAND .
Thank you for your comment, Samantha.
Of course I believe that local candidates (whether on the A-list or not) should be given as much consideration as those with impressive CVs, and those of the A-list.
One problem with Lit is that few people in Medway would know him to be a local candidate as much as they would a local councillor or candidate – although I have no doubt your comments as per his ability are correct.
“AND HE IS EXTREMLEY GOOD LOOKING”.
Well, what an important quality in a politian that is.
Ever wondered why Brad Pitt isn’t PM?
Honestly, its no wonder the country is going down the drain when people vote with thier eyes rather than their brains.
APPRECIATE YOUR RESPONSE , I HAVE READ THE RESUME ON TONY LIT DURING THE CAMPAIGN , I HAVE NEVER THOUGHT IT ESSENTIAL THE CANDIDATE BE LOCAL BUT IT SEEMS A BIG THING THESE DAYS , MY POINT IS TONY BEING FROM MEDWAY AS JULIE HAS POINTED OUT IS A GOOD THING , I DONT KNOW IF YOU HELPED ON HIS CAMPAIGN BUT HE HAD A ARMY OF SUPPORTERS AND HUGE POSTERS LIKE I HAVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE ON A LOCAL LEVEL (AND BY THE WAY WHEN I MEAN HELP I DONT MEAN CCHQ AND ACTIVISTS BUT TRUE SUPPORTERS.)
I THOUGHT HE WAS A GREAT CANDIDATE WHO CUT HIS TEETH IN A TOUGH AREA WITH A 60 ODD YEAR LABOUR HISTORY AND STOPPED THE LIB DEMS FROM TAKING THIS SEAT WE DID NOT GET SQUEEZED THAT WAS THE LIT FACTOR AND LETS NOT FORGET HE WAS A CAMERON PICKED CANDIDATE AND FOR ME I CAN SEE WHAT DAVE SAW IN HIM . I ALSO LIKE THE FACT HE IS A FAMILY MAN WITH THREE YOUNG CHILDREN .
TIME TO MAKE THE TEA MUST DASH !!
Rob – image is everything in politics these days. It is a sad fact, but a candidate’s looks matter just as much as the policies that they are supporting, and the campaigns they are fighting. Although I don’t think I’d ever describe Tony Lit as being good looking.
Samantha – I think the phrase often thrown about when discussing candidates is “pick ‘em early, pick ‘em local”. Associations, and indeed, to some extent, the electorate, like candidates to have links with the local area, as can be seen with quite a lot of the candidate selections over the past year.
I have no doubts in his competences as a candidate – he did, after all, manage to increase the Conservatives’ share of the votes at a time when the Conservatives weren’t exactly flavour of the moment with the nation, considering the slowly materialising Brown bounce.
David Cameron risked his reputation on the selection of Tony Lit, and he did manage to anger the grassroots supporters, but despite the spin the media put on it, I do think it paid off (for reasons as given above).
Really? It shouldn’t surprise me really, I mean with the celebrity culture we have nowadays, looks seem to be everything (I’m surprised I’m not elected already
)
Samantha, must you really type in capitals? Its very difficult to read.
Alan
You wrote: “image is everything in politics these days. It is a sad fact, but a candidate’s looks matter just as much as the policies that they are supporting, and the campaigns they are fighting.”
Oh, well: that explains why my vote is lower than my ward colleague Nick Brice gets.
You know I couldn’t possibly comment John
.
dear rob lower case better for you ?
anyway Tony Lit seems to have sparked interest large number of views on this page !!
Samantha, it does appear that way. There’s a page I’ve had on this site since last July which has 266 views, whilst this page has 248 views in just 24 hours.
And, looking at my CPanel stats, I see that I have had four times the usual number of visitors today than any other day.
I should submit my most interesting posts to ConservativeHome more often…
Alan one of the reasons i went and helped tony on his campaign , was the good reports about him even remember the times newspaper saying he outshone my hero ken clarke thats what got me motivated
I have to admit that the idea of Mr Lit being chosen to fight R&S is growing on me rather quickly.
well i hope he is given fair crack of the whip ,he is one of those people who will make a local and national impact im sure thats what DC saw in him
do we know when rochester and strood are selecting then ?
Unfortunately not. As the selection timetables are decided by CCHQ rather than the association, and because of whatever troubles the association found themselves in the past two times the selection started, R&S now must wait their turn rather than frustrate CCHQ (as the process takes time and money).
The sooner the better i say , we need to win these marginals , who are the main candidtes being mentioned ?
I couldn’t agree more, and I have written to the Candidates’ Department to try and find out when the seat will start selection.
Other than Tony Lit, I have heard no other Candidates formally confirm they will seek selection.
However, the 2001/2005 Candidate-turned-Councillor Mark Reckless will probably try, along with a former UKIP Candidate-turned-Conservative Councillor, Craig MacKinlay.
On top of them, the “usual supsects” will probably apply, if they haven’t found themselves a seat alread (people like Vicky Ford, James Brokenshire etc.).
Has Tony lit confirmed then he is seeking selection ?
ex ukip man hope not
twice runner up with a rather unfortuanate name i think he should let someone else have a go
Vicky ford and james Brokenshire are good but i suspect james in particular will be selected in either maidstone or cambridge.
As I said in the post, the Telegraph Spy discovered last week that Lit would love to represent R&S, and he is currently in the process of answering questions I sent him about the selection. He is also attending association social events, I have been told.
MacKinlay I hope doesn’t get it. He is still yet to answer questions I sent him several months ago, and visit a place in his ward which I invited him to several months ago.
Reckless has found himself a place for representing the people of Rochester – and I agree that, after twice attempting to win, he should let someone else have a go. That said, if he applies, he should still be given a fair crack of the whip.
As I have said elsewhere, I am hopeful that Brokenshire will be selected for Maidstone, and Ford was once my favourite for this Constituency (but as it has been confirmed Lit is local, and many people have said what a good candidate he is) my mind is quickly changing.
well thats great news if he is , he has what it takes amazing energy i saw it first hand, and very calm .
We need to win in places like rochester and strood if we are to Govern again CCHQ lets get selecting .
Alan i have been away on a little break , and i see that maidstone have now selected Helen Grant , good on them it was a strong final line up .
whats happening with Rochester and strood ?
saw Mr lit again at a Boris and angie Bray Fundraiser last week , he was there with the wife lovely girl
I hope you had a good time, Samantha!
Rochester and Strood will select when CCHQ decides that they are ready, or so I am told.
I certainly hope that CCHQ deems them ready soon.
That is still the hold-up. We’re ready here!
it was a lovely break thank you Alan , i needed one , why are cchq delaying selection in such a important seat like rochester and strood , we need to win seats of this nature and the sooner we select the better , and the good thing is it seems you have two good local candidates in Mark Reckless and my bet Tony Lit . As well as other so called A listers who will be after this seat not a big fan of A List .
are there any more front runners for this seat ?
We have a number of potentially very good candidates, including the two Samantha mentioned — some (but nowhere near all) are A-listers.
We are all set to consider any and all of them; but CCHQ have to start the process by advertising for the seat in the usual way. Until they do their bit, we cannot move. This is something I’d change if I had the power to do so, leaving the entire process to Constituency Associations with no outside interference of any kind.
thank you for the insight Cllr Ward , i agree i think Associations should be left to it after all they have to live with the candidate for many ayear if they win , so they need someone they will be comfortable with .
i am a little bemused as to why Brokenshire has not been selected yet , keeps falling at last hurdle do have sympathy for him must be difficult losing your seat in a boundary change .
As i said Cllr i met Mr Lit and his Wife at a recent Boris Fundraiser in ealing , and i did ask him his plans , all he said was when given the opportunity he shall work on his constituency full time with the association from point of selection to Election .
which is what we need in marginals full time candidates it will give us a edge i know not everyone can give up there job , but its certainly a advantage .
Interesting…
I had to give up my job when my ward was doubled in size after a boundary review — in fact, I did so in advance, to give me the chance to spend time getting to know the new chunks that were to be “bolted onto” my existing ward.
It is now the most complex in Medway, by a fair margin, and we have held it strongly because of the efforts made and the strategic thinking behind it all.
The effort does indeed seem to be just as important as I felt it would be, and one has to more-or-less throw oneself into the fray full-time.
An MP certainly would have needed to do the same as I have done, so any candidate would have had to be prepared to do so too — at least, until the handing-over of governance to the devolved Parliaments/Assemblies and then most of what remained being passed to Brussels.
Now there seems that very little reason will soon remain to have a full UK Parliament, so I am no longer sure how to play things if one is to be a candidate.
John,
Your comments on candidates willing to be full-time would deter a number of people who have to work for a living. If the party is to appeal to the electorate and be representative of the constituency in this key marginal then that would exclude most of the population unless you are a self-made business person or have a well-heeled spouse to support you.
The party has been seeking a broader candidate base that reflects Britain today, not the self-made former bankers and heirs to fortunes of days gone past. Also, if we continue to select these types what does that say to the nurses, doctors, teachers, manual workers that we need to attract at the next election?
I run a small business which relies on my input, however I am flexible but again not everyone has this luxury.
I agree that a candidate needs to be 100% committed and have the back-up of a good association for campaigning – which I know R&S does. You have a strong council and strong association which should act as the back-up to a candidate based elsewhere during the working day. Campaigns can be conducted through the local and national press and online – there is a whole community of online voters that they can get to – as well as the traditional methods. You don’t need to be a full time candidate to do this.
I do, however, believe that the candidate should move to the constituency.
I do agree with your sentiments on the UK Parliament. If the Lisbon Reform Treaty is pushed through by this government then we will see the beginning of the end of the nation state and our sovereignty. Localism in the form of devolved power has to happen, power being taken back from Brussels, looser ties with Europe and devolved power from Westminster to locally elected councillors. You know your area and people better than the Stalinist Brown and his government. If this happens, then we will get people more involved in local politics.
The distinction here is between what I have had to do, and maintain, because of the workload; and what a parliamentary candidate would need to do during the campaign period. If elected, the candidate would then receive an allowance to pay staff and an office — something that we councillors do not receive (and nor would I want to, as it happens).
For us it’s permanent; for a prospective MP it’s just short-term. It’s their choice about how serious they are, in the knowledge that their political opponents will be in the same boat and might be prepared to make more of an effort (by giving more of their time) than they are — and the electorate will notice the difference.
John , i think you have hit the nail on the head,
its down to how serious the candidate takes it and for a candidate who is going to be working on campaigning full time has made there position clear.
its not all down to the association , the candidate has to be strong and put in the required effort, thats why the assosciation have to make the right choice .
Samantha
You seem to have sussed out what it tends to be like “on the ground” — which is probably the biggest part of winning votes oneself, as a candidate, rather than having them dished up on a plate.
For example, this was essentially how I and a colleague took a two-seat ward from the LibDems (which they had held strongly for nine years) with a big swing — and have kept it ever since.
John
where ever i can i help different associations canvass and deliveries etc to do my bit, the last big campaign was Ealing southall which i got involved in this campaign was the best by-election campaign i have seen us put together for a long time and in a very short campaign period , and that was partly down to DC giving the place a shake up and the Candidate Tony Lit , he was a breath of fresh air, and if we can attract people of his calibre and drive we are going in the right direction .
john hats off to you for your win against the lib dems the most destructive politicians i have ever known .
In my experience Tony is a professional, hard working and charismatic candidate and just the type of person the Conservative Party needs. Good luck to him for Rochester and Strood.
well at last Rochester and strood are in selection mode !!! best of luck to all candidates .
Yes, Samantha, we are indeed in selection mode, although as it turns out I am not now going to be on the selection panel itself. Fifteen far better people than I for such a task have been appointed, so I am well pleased with that.
Now, as long as our sift isn’t interfered with from the outside (and the party rules clearly show that this would not be allowed), we as an Association should select a really good candidate from the well over a hundred who have applied this time.
Thats a shame John you not being involved, you seem to really care about the area .
so who do you expect to be the main runners to be candidate in your opinion female and male ?
message to all we need to all get to henley
Yes, Samantha, I do care passionately about this whole area — though most especially my own locality, naturally(!)
I really don’t know who will the main runners. I know that we have received over 130 applications, so there’s a lot of sifting and Big Event work to do over the next several weeks.
I am happy not to be so closely involved as had been originally envisaged. Far more politically astute people than I are going to be involved in the early stages, and that makes perfect sense to me.
John though we have never met but i can tell your very politically astute , so stop being so modest , having said that i think your sitting on the fence here yes there maybe more than a hundred or so applicants but there will be only a few contenders male and female who have been working the patch , hopefully not all A listers . come on John spill the beans ??
Whoa! I don’t even know who the candidates are, and will probably get to know of just the twenty post-sift. I am aware of those who came to help us during the recent by-election to replace me.
I wouldn’t rate myself as being particularly politically astute: I have an exceptionally high intelligence so might appear to be more “with it” in a specific arena than is really the case. This has certainly been true in the political sphere.
No false modesty there, I trust!
If you wish to meet me, feel free to come to one of our social events (as a number of the candidates have done) and let me know which it is, so I can be sure to be there too. Now there’s an offer I bet you don’t get every day
just for the record.
It is correct that he was born and brought up in medway. Lit is NOT his surname and neither is Avtar Lit his father. It is a name he took on when he married Avtar Lit’s daughter.
Tony already has one failed marraige behind him when he was married to Farida