Conservative A-List

For other uses, see A-list (disambiguation).

The Conservative A-List or 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]} now a member of the House of Lords
• Louise Bagshawe (later Mensch), MP for Corby, 2010–2012
• Shaun Bailey, children's worker, PPC for Hammersmith 2010, candidate for Mayor of London, 2021
• 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 (subsequently inherited his father's peerage)
• 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
• 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, now member of the House of Lords
• Vicky Ford, MEP for East of England, MP for Chelmsford, 2017– *
• Jacqueline Foster, MEP for North West England
• 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, member of the House of Lords, 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
• 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
• 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, now member of the House of Lords
• 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, joined House of Lords in 2015
• Liz Truss,^{[n 41]} MP for South West Norfolk, 2010–. Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, 2022.
• Sayeeda Warsi,^{[n 42]} now member of the House of Lords
• Heather Wheeler,^{[n 43]} MP for South Derbyshire, 2010–
• Susan Williams,^{[n 44]} now member of the House of Lords

Notes and references

Notes

1. PPC Croydon North 2005
2. PPC Stockton North 2005
3. PPC Lancaster and Wyre 2001
4. PPC Tooting 2005
5. PPC Hove 2005
6. PPC Manchester Withington 2005
7. London Assembly Member
8. PPC Warrington South 2005
9. PPC Eastleigh 2005
10. Former Camden LB opposition lead councillor. PPC Bristol West 2001
11. PPC Northampton North 2005
12. Westmoreland and Lonsdale MP 1997–2005
13. PPC North Norfolk 2005
14. PPC Portsmouth South 2005
15. PPC Pendle 2005
16. PPC Stevenage 2005
17. PPC Brighton Pavilion 2001
18. PPC Dudley North 2001; European candidate in 2004
19. Special Adviser to Tim Yeo
20. East Midlands MEP 1999–2009
21. PPC Holborn and Pancras 2005
22. PPC Broxtowe 2001
23. PPC Knowsley South 2005
24. PPC Blaenau Gwent 2005
25. Leader of Brentwood Borough Council
26. PPC Sedgefield 2005
27. Bristol councillor
28. former deputy Leader of Westminster Council
29. PPC Twickenham 2005
30. Vale of York MP 1997–2010
31. PPC Wirral West 2005
32. PPC Selby 2005
33. PPC Nottingham North 2005
34. PPC Nuneaton 2005
35. PPC Normanton 2005
36. PPC Makerfield 2005
37. PPC Aberavon 2005
38. PPC Gedling 2005
39. Macclesfield councillor
40. PPC Birmingham Ladywood 2005
41. PPC Calder Valley 2005
42. PPC Dewsbury 2005
43. PPC Coventry South 2001 and 2005
44. Leader of Trafford Council 2004–2009

References

1. "Are the Tories only looking for 'cutie' candidates?". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
2. Will Woodward and Tania Branigan, "The A-list: new leader's drive for women and minority candidates" in The Guardian, 19 April 2006
3. Will Woodward, chief political correspondent, "Former soap star on Cameron's A-list of Tory candidates" in The Guardian, 11 May 2006
4. Michael Portillo, Cameron's A-list could give Tories the X factor in The Sunday Times dated 30 July 2006, online
5. A-list 'not snubbing' NE England dated 20 October 2006 at bbc.co.uk
6. Election 2010 Part Three 2155, vol. 44:17, retrieved 5 November 2021
7. Rosemary Bennett, "The A-list" in The Times dated 12 June 2006, at timesonline.co.uk
8. Who is on the A-list? at conservativehome web site
9. Conservative A-List and selections 28 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine dated 4 June 2006 at colin-ross.org.uk
10. Robin Brant, A year on, has the A-list worked? at BBC.co.uk dated December 2006
11. PPC Liverpool Garston 2005