EXCLUSIVE – The Bracknell Conservative Shortlist
I am told that Bracknell Conservatives have selected their short-list of seven to replace sitting MP Andrew MacKay who is standing down. I am seeking final confirmation but I believe that they are:
Iain Dale – top Conservative blogger, author and publisher. Iain stood in Norfolk North at the last election.
Rory Stewart – author and former Army officer. I worked with Rory in the Foreign Office after the Iraq invasion. He was appointed Governor of Di Qar province in Iraq and is also famous for walking across Afghanistan in 2002
Kate Lindsay – was previously shortlisted for Hampshire East
Julia Manning – stood in Bristol East at the 2005 General Election
Fiona Kemp – stood in Truro and St Austell in the 2005 General Election
Philip Lee – a Doctor and project director of Conservative Friends of Bangladesh
Ryan Robson – an investment banker and Chairman of the Centre for Social Justice’s Looked After Children Working Group.
Margaret Doyle – a Westminster Councillor
It is an interesting selection of candidates with some very strong characters. I am also told that a small group of Bracknell Forest Councillors failed in their bid to have Bracknell Forest Council Leader Cllr Paul Bettison added to the short-list.
The seven will now go through to an Open Primary selection meeting on 17 October.
If anyone has any further information about members of the short-list please let me know.
CORRECTION: Two people have contacted me to tell me that Fiona Kemp was not short-listed and that the correct finalist is Margaret Doyle.
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About Richard…
Richard is a Conservative Councillor on Reading Borough Council representing Peppard ward since 2007, having been re-elected in May 2011. He previously represented Thames ward from 2001 to 2004. He is currently the Conservative Shadow Cabinet Member for Transport on Reading Borough Council. 
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Iain Dale would be a superb MP I wish him the greatest of luck.
So you won’t be rubbishing Labour over their lack of a local candidate in Reading then.
So the people of Bracknell are to stupid to provide one of their own to go up to that London then. Why bother with representative democracy. We can have a, “Consultative Euro” system. The parties can send us a list of those they deam suitable. Then we can simply place them in order of preference. The most hated last and the one we’ve never heard of first. Contorl freak commo/nazis.
Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Europe.
I think Fiona Kemp is on the Woking short list for the open primary on Weds night.
Alan: do we know for sure than none of them are local?
Whats wjh on about?
The party have met and set up a short list.
Then there will be an OPEN primary. What could be more democratic?
His mixed up but ultimately obscene simile is a joke.
Iain Dale would represent a fair and decent option. He would arguably be a good communicator – I do not see him as other than a competent backbencher. it would make hois blog interesing reading.
But given his new business interests – is this a good tip?
But the list looks interesting. I would guess the ex army officer would be a good bet.
Yes. Labour began blabbing about a Tory candidate being an outsider in the last election. Only for it to blow up in the face when it was pointed out that the then sitting Labour MP was an outsider, too…
Isn’t this just typical of the Tories. Pretend to be open and democratic and then foist an unknown list of preferred candidates on the constituency who may know nothing at all about Bracknell Forest.
I look forward to contesting the election as the LOCAL Lib Dem candidate and giving voters a genuine choice between someone who has lived and actively campaigned in the constituency for many years and a candidate from elsewhere who comes complete with the seal of approval from Central Office.
Ray Earwicker. Now that’s really a name nobody has heard of!
I don’t know any of these people and Dale seems a good guy. But there is no shortage of spinners/communicators in parliament. Rory Stewart on the other hand was a serving army officer in a war and has since been highly distinguished i trying to “win the peace” and international development. AFAIK there is no-one with his credentials in parliament and we really need someone like him in the house.
Rory Stewart is a poseur – smell the bull a mile away
I’m always surprised that Rory Stewart gets written up as ‘a former army officer’ (this isn’t a dig at this blog, btw – everyone seems to do it) when a short period of service with the Black Watch between school and university is perhaps the least remarkable aspect of a truly astonishing career: two best-selling and highly regarded books, an interesting year attempting to govern two provinces in Iraq, a Harvard professorship, setting up and running a successful development project in Kabul, journalism, presenting a television programme on Lawrence of Arabia, testifying to the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week about troop levels in Afghanistan – all by the age of 37. Whether he ends up representing Bracknell or not, he’s clearly someone worth watching.
Iain Dale would be a good MP for Bracknell. Ray Earwicker is deluded to think he has the remotest chance of winning the seat. He has even linked to a dud website…duh.
Rory Stewart. Dragon School,Oxford, Eton and Balliol. A good Cameroon, then.
You under-play Margaret Doyle’s credentials somewhat!
She’s a serious economics journalist (staff writer for the Telegraph and the Economist, loads of freelance creds).
She may not have Iain Dale’s media profile but she’s a far more able candidate. I’d say she was the one to beat.
I Know Ray Earwicker PPC for the Lib Dems. I also know he wants a public Q&A in Bracknell. I think some of these guys would do it. So good luck to how ever wins and lets have an open debate before the general election
Just wanted to point out that Ryan Robson is not an investment banker. Ryan runs his own business which invests in companies like DC Leisure in Bagshot, but he is not a banker.
Vote for Iain Dale. A decent honest bloke in a world of dirty politics.