Tories select Wollaston in Britain’s first open primary
By Gabriel Huntley
The Conservatives have today announced the result of a groundbreaking open primary selection process.
The ballot, which is the first of its kind to be held in Britain, was used select the Tories’ next candidate for the Totnes constituency in Devon, with Dr Sarah Wollaston emerging as the victor.
Previously, the party has held primaries in which the public were invited to attend and vote at selection meetings, but the process in Totnes is unique in that ballot papers were sent to all 69,000 registered voters in the constituency.
This means that members of other political parties will be able to take part in the process.
Dr Wollaston will replace sitting MP Anthony Steen, who has represented the area since 1983, as Tory candidate.
Mr Steen is stepping down following the expenses scandal. He provoked anger by defending an £87,000 claim on his second home, which included bills for rabbit fencing and tree inspection, by arguing that criticism of him was based on jealousy.
In a Radio 4 interview at the time, he said: “I have got a very, very large house. We have a wretched government here that has completely mucked up the system and caused the resignation of me and many others.”
Open primary elections involving the general public are an import from the United States, where they are routinely used to select candidates.
Many electoral experts praise the system for opening up democracy in areas which always vote for the same party.
The Totnes primary is an experiment which forms part of a shake-up of Conservative selection processes, although it is unlikely that the postal primary will be replicated widely because of its high cost, estimated to be over £40,000 in Totnes.
Party leader David Cameron has also called for sympathetic non-party members to consider standing for the Conservatives. However, the three prospective Tory candidates vying for selection in Totnes are all party members who have been vetted by Conservative Central Office.
The Conservatives’ new candidate Dr Sarah Wollaston is a local GP without an extensive political CV.
