Rochester By-Election Set For Nov 20Th With Tory Primary!

[Jomlett]

This morning every voter in Rochester and Strood, where the by election caused by the defection of the Conservative Mark Reckless to Ukip will take place on 20 November, will be getting a letter from David Cameron.

In it, he explains why the Conservatives have decided to select their candidate using a primary election with an all-postal ballot, meaning everyone in the constituency can take part.

[ChillDoubt]

Have to admit, as there is no link I was looking for a punchline......

[Jomlett]

It's all about Nigel for the BBC of course: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29611874

[ToraToraTora]

that's odd, normallly the candidate is selected by the local association.

[ToraToraTora]

...often with some prompting from the party HQ of course!

[Jomlett]

The tories have tried a primary but..."Before the 2010 election the Tories used all-postal primaries to select Sarah Wollaston in Totnes and Caroline Dinenage in Gosport.

Wollaston, a former GP, has been very willing to tell David Cameron when she thinks he’s getting it wrong, and her record largely explains why, until now the Tories had lost their enthusiasm for all-postal primaries."

[Gromit]

The Primary is an interesting idea and I will be interested to see if it works.

[Jomlett]

The advantage of an all-postal primary is that it produces a candidate with a wide appeal. The disadvantage is that holding one is expensive...£40,000 is estimated as the cost, but the Tories aren't giving a figure.

[janbee]

The Tories are now in Panic Mode.

[ChillDoubt]

Labour has accused the Conservatives of delaying the election to remove some of the momentum UKIP is enjoying following the success in Clacton.
----------------
Blimey, Ed really DOES want to get into Number 10 on the back of UKIP's achievements!

[ToraToraTora]

I assume ED is aware of the law change in 2010? the one about fixed term parliaments.

[Gromit]

Tora,
Cameron has delayed the By Election in Rochester, not the General Election. The By Election will be over 7 weeks from Recless' resignation, an unusually long time.

[ToraToraTora]

I see, what are the rules on By-elections?

[mikey4444]

Considering the poor turn-out at by-elections, even high-profiles ones like this, I am not sure what kind of response that dave thinks he is going to get with this stunt. Just how many of these letters does he think are going to get opened and read ?

And I think that 7 weeks is far too long to go without a by-election. Its not as if we had to mourn the previous dead MP is it ?

[ABerrant]

Mark Reckless resigned while Parliament was in recess for Conference season. Parliament resat yesterday, the earliest day that a writ could be moved to instigate a by-election. Once a writ is moved the by-election timetable is set at between 21 and 27 working days (an increase from between 13 and 19 days) as per article 3 of the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 (Commencement No. 5 and Transitory Provisions) Order 2014 which came into force 6th April 2014.

http://www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/SN06609/byelection-timetables