Conservatives to hold open primary for a local representative in Wirral, is this a Merseyside first?
Wirral Conservative councillor Ian Lewis today reveals the party is to hold an open primary in the selection of a candidate for next year's election.
Apparently the Tories are going to invite thousands to select the next candidate for the Leasowe & Moreton East Ward.
He reckons its the first time an open primary has been used in Merseyside to select a local authority candidate and I think he's right I can't recall this being done before (but I'm sure Ian and I will be corrected if wrong).
This is Ian's explanation:
Next month, we are going to write to several thousand voters across Leasowe and Moreton, and ask them to pick the Conservative candidate for the 2010 elections. They'll have a choice of at least two, and perhaps more, applicants and a mini-CV will be provided to each person, along with a ballot paper and pre-paid envelope.
As far as I know, no Party in Wirral or Merseyside has ever tried this for a local council candidate and I'm really pleased that it's happening in Leasowe and Moreton East. Leah Fraser and I, and the rest of the local Party, are keen to open up local politics and involve more people in the decision making. And asking them to pick your candidate is one of the biggest decisions a local Party has to make.
If you live in Leasowe & Moreton East and would like to take part, email office@wallaseyconservatives.com with your name and home address. Don't worry - we'll be writing to a wide range of voters - not just known Conservative supporters but also people we have canvassed as Liberal Democrats, Greens, UKIPs and fed-up Labour voters plus known community leaders and activists.
It will be interesting to see what the level of response is.
Will enough people be interested to make it worthwhile?
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David Bartlett
City editor of the Post and Echo covering politics, regeneration, and urban affairs.
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