I’ve been getting quite a few search engines referring people looking for Sophie Stanbrook, a former Tory council candidate in Ipswich who’s been put in the last six for Suffolk Coastal despite having local roots.  Now she’s got her own website at sophiestanbrook.com

She’ll probably thank me for that.  She won’t thank me for highlighting this other mention by Simon Hoggart.

Well done to Suffolk Coastal Conservative Association for choosing some local candidates in their short list.  One of the depressing things about the professionalisation of politics has been the growth of the short lists with members who have no links to the constituency.

Another mess like Ipswich North would be too much.

North Ipswich and Mid Suffolk Tories have messed up in their refusal to name a local candidate.  One of the points that is often made about the Conservative Party is that it is more democratic in its final selection than the other parties.  This is true, but its preliminary rounds are almost (if not quite) as murky as Labour’s.  And before people say that the Tories are less corrupt than Labour, I would say the Tories should not give people the chance.

I am not much of a fan of internal party machinations, these things bore me to tears, but I have seen more than my fair share of carve ups when local candidates are ruthlessly carved out at the “paper sift” and “selection committee” levels so that a favourite son can emerge either a national party darling or, as I saw in one selection in London, a wealthy young man with only a sporadic connection to the constituency.

We expect this of Labour, distant elitism is their new clause four along with an oh-so-European dash of “favours”, but the Tories must do better because in the end thay are better.

It is a particular shame to see Sophie Stanbrook and Stephen Wells looked over.  I don’t always see eye to eye with either of them but they are talented local campaigners who would have really shaken things up.