From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Concept in the internal affairs of the British Conservative Party
The Conservative A-List , also called Priority List , was a list of
United Kingdom candidates drawn up by
Conservative Central Office at the behest of
David Cameron following his
election as party leader in December 2005, aimed as a means of broadening the number of Conservative
Members of Parliament , potential
peers and
MEPs from
minority groups and women as well as other preferred candidates for candidature. Where the preferred forums for selection were held, at least two members from the list were put to every
open primary , and where these were not held the A-list were recommended directly, particularly to the top target seats.
Cameron Cutie was a term used for female candidates.
[1]
History
In April 2006, a Conservative Party committee on candidates set out to deliver a promise by
David Cameron to transform the Conservative party at
Westminster . The committee reduced 500 aspiring politicians on the party's list of approved
parliamentary candidates to an "A-list" of between 100 and 150 priority candidates.
[2] The result was a list on which more than half of the names were of women. The list included the former
Coronation Street actor
Adam Rickitt ,
Zac Goldsmith , the author
Louise Bagshawe (later Mensch) , and
Margot James .
[3]
Amid controversy, the "A-list" approach was endorsed by
Michael Portillo , a Conservative MP until 2005, who in 2006 said that
[based on current membership]...much of the Parliamentary Party is reactionary and unattractive to voters.
[4]
Conservative chairmen and activists in seats considered potentially winnable were in the run-up to the 2010 election urged by
Conservative Central Office to select candidates from the new A-list and were in many cases included in
open primaries , new and preferred open-to-all selection meetings.
[5]
The
2010 general election saw failures as well as successes for the "A-listers" selected for 'winnable' seats.
[6]
Listed
Those on the A-list included the following: (bold marks people elected to Parliament in 2010)
[7]
[8]
[9]
Amar Ahmed, a GP in Cheshire since 2000 and was National Chairman Conservative Policy Forum, Public Sector and Infrastructure, between 2011 and 2015.
Tariq Ahmad ,
[n 1] life peer in the
House of Lords since 2011
Louise Bagshawe (later Mensch) , MP for
Corby , 2010–2012
Shaun Bailey , children's worker, PPC for
Hammersmith 2010, candidate for
Mayor of London ,
2021 , life peer in the House of Lords since 2023
Harriett Baldwin ,
[n 2] MP for
West Worcestershire , 2010– *
Steve Barclay ,
[n 3] MP for
North East Cambridgeshire , 2010– *
Gavin Barwell , MP for
Croydon Central , 2010–2017 *
James Bethell ,
[n 4] a Founder of the
Ministry of Sound , hereditary peer in the House of Lords since 2018
Nick Boles ,
[n 5] MP for
Grantham and Stamford , 2010–2019 *
Karen Bradley ,
[n 6] MP for
Staffordshire Moorlands , 2010–
Angie Bray ,
[n 7] MP for
Ealing Central and Acton , 2010–2015
Steve Brine , MP for
Winchester , 2010–
Fiona Bruce ,
[n 8] MP for
Congleton , 2010–
Dr. David Bull , television presenter, PPC for
Brighton Pavilion , 2010,
Brexit Party MEP, 2019–2020
Conor Burns ,
[n 9] MP for
Bournemouth West , 2010– *
Georgina Butler , former
Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Costa Rica
Martin Callanan , MEP for
North East England , life peer in the House of Lords since 2014
Joanne Cash , barrister, PPC for
Westminster North 2010
Pamela Chesters
[n 10]
London Assembly Advisor for Health and Youth Opportunities
Damian Collins ,
[n 11] MP for
Folkestone and Hythe , 2010– *
Tim Collins ,
[n 12] former MP
Charles Crawford , former
Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Poland
Iain Dale ,
[n 13] blogger
Caroline Dinenage ,
[n 14] MP for
Gosport , 2010–
Jane Ellison ,
[n 15] MP for
Battersea , 2010–2017
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones , Entrepreneur of the Year — the Black Enterprise Awards 2005, PPC Chippenham 2010
Howard Flight , former MP, life peer in the House of Lords since 2011
Vicky Ford , MEP for East of England, MP for
Chelmsford , 2017– *
Jacqueline Foster ,
MEP for
North West England , life peer in the House of Lords since 2021
George Freeman ,
[n 16] MP for
Mid Norfolk , 2010– *
David Gold,
[n 17] PPC for
Eltham 2010
Zac Goldsmith , MP for
Richmond Park , 2010–2016, 2017–2019, life peer in the House of Lords since 2020
Francois Gordon , former
High Commissioner to Uganda
Helen Grant , MP for
Maidstone and The Weald , 2010–
Andrew Griffiths ,
[n 18] MP for
Burton , 2010–2019 *
Sam Gyimah , MP for
East Surrey , 2010–2019 *
Rebecca Harris ,
[n 19] MP for
Castle Point , 2010– *
Chris Heaton-Harris ,
[n 20] MP for Daventry, 2010–
Margot James ,
[n 21] MP for
Stourbridge , 2010–2019
Syed Kamall , MEP for
London , life peer in the House of Lords since 2021
Pauline Latham ,
[n 22] MP for
Mid Derbyshire , 2010– *
Andrea Leadsom ,
[n 23] MP for
South Northamptonshire , 2010– *
Dr. Phillip Lee ,
[n 24] MP for
Bracknell , 2010–2019 *
Brandon Lewis ,
[n 25] MP for
Great Yarmouth , 2010–
Group Captain Al Lockwood
[n 26]
Jack Lopresti ,
[n 27] MP for
Filton and Bradley Stoke , 2010–
Kit Malthouse ,
[n 28] Member of the
London Assembly , MP for
North West Hampshire 2015–
Paul Maynard ,
[n 29] MP for
Blackpool North , 2010–
Anne McIntosh ,
[n 30] MP for
Thirsk and Malton , 2010–2015
Esther McVey ,
[n 31] MP for
Wirral West , 2010–2015 and
Tatton , 2017–
Mark Menzies ,
[n 32] MP for
Fylde , 2010– *
Priti Patel ,
[10]
[n 33] MP for
Witham , 2010– *
Mark Pawsey ,
[n 34] MP for
Rugby , 2010–
Andrew Percy ,
[n 35] MP for
Brigg and Goole , 2010–
Kulveer Ranger ,
[n 36] Director of Environment, life peer in the House of Lords since 2023
Annunziata Rees-Mogg ,
[n 37] journalist, PPC for
Somerton and Frome , 2010, Brexit Party MEP, 2019–2020
Adam Rickitt , actor and singer
Caroline Righton , presenter, PPC for
St Austell and Newquay , 2010
Murad Roberts, Member of the
Society of Conservative Lawyers , 2015
Amber Rudd ,
[11] MP for
Hastings and Rye , 2010–2019
Laura Sandys , MP for
Thanet South , 2010–2015
Jane Scott , Leader of
Wiltshire Council , life peer in the House of Lords since 2015
Anna Soubry ,
[n 38] MP for
Broxtowe , 2010–2019
Andrew Stephenson ,
[n 39] MP for
Pendle , 2010–
Mel Stride , MP for
Central Devon , 2010– *
Philippa Stroud ,
[n 40] Director of the Centre for Social Justice, life peer in the House of Lords since 2015
Liz Truss ,
[n 41] MP for
South West Norfolk , 2010–.
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom , 2022.
Sayeeda Warsi ,
[n 42] life peer in the House of Lords since 2007
Heather Wheeler ,
[n 43] MP for
South Derbyshire , 2010–
Susan Williams ,
[n 44] life peer in the House of Lords since 2013
Notes and references
Notes
^ PPC Croydon North 2005
^ PPC Stockton North 2005
^ PPC Lancaster and Wyre 2001
^ PPC Tooting 2005
^ PPC Hove 2005
^ PPC Manchester Withington 2005
^
London Assembly Member
^ PPC Warrington South 2005
^ PPC Eastleigh 2005
^ Former
Camden LB opposition lead councillor. PPC Bristol West 2001
^ PPC Northampton North 2005
^ Westmoreland and Lonsdale MP 1997–2005
^ PPC North Norfolk 2005
^ PPC Portsmouth South 2005
^ PPC Pendle 2005
^ PPC Stevenage 2005
^ PPC Brighton Pavilion 2001
^ PPC Dudley North 2001; European candidate in 2004
^ Special Adviser to
Tim Yeo
^ East Midlands MEP 1999–2009
^ PPC Holborn and Pancras 2005
^ PPC Broxtowe 2001
^ PPC Knowsley South 2005
^ PPC Blaenau Gwent 2005
^ Leader of Brentwood Borough Council
^ PPC Sedgefield 2005
^
Bristol councillor
^ former deputy Leader of
Westminster Council
^ PPC Twickenham 2005
^ Vale of York MP 1997–2010
^ PPC Wirral West 2005
^ PPC Selby 2005
^ PPC Nottingham North 2005
^ PPC Nuneaton 2005
^ PPC Normanton 2005
^ PPC Makerfield 2005
^ PPC Aberavon 2005
^ PPC Gedling 2005
^ Macclesfield councillor
^ PPC Birmingham Ladywood 2005
^ PPC Calder Valley 2005
^ PPC Dewsbury 2005
^ PPC Coventry South 2001 and 2005
^ Leader of
Trafford Council 2004–2009
References
^
"Are the Tories only looking for 'cutie' candidates?" .
The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 27 June 2023 .
^ Will Woodward and Tania Branigan, "
The A-list: new leader's drive for women and minority candidates " in
The Guardian , 19 April 2006
^ Will Woodward, chief political correspondent,
"Former soap star on Cameron's A-list of Tory candidates" in The Guardian , 11 May 2006
^
Michael Portillo ,
Cameron's A-list could give Tories the X factor in
The Sunday Times dated 30 July 2006, online
^
A-list 'not snubbing' NE England dated 20 October 2006 at bbc.co.uk
^
Election 2010 Part Three 2155 , vol. 44:17, retrieved 5 November 2021
^ Rosemary Bennett,
"The A-list" in
The Times dated 12 June 2006, at timesonline.co.uk
^
Who is on the A-list? at conservativehome web site
^
Conservative A-List and selections
Archived 28 March 2010 at the
Wayback Machine dated 4 June 2006 at colin-ross.org.uk
^ Robin Brant,
A year on, has the A-list worked? at BBC.co.uk dated December 2006
^ PPC Liverpool Garston 2005