Since 2009, the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom has experimented with the use of open primaries to select some parliamentary candidates.[1]
The first primaries were held ahead of the 2010 general election. More than a dozen primaries were held ahead of the 2015 general election.
The members of the selection committee are as follows:
| Ben Elliot | Chairman of the Board and co-chairman of the Conservative Party | |
| Rt Hon James Cleverly MP | Co-chairman of the Conservative Party and deputy chairman of the Board | |
| Andrew Sharpe OBE | Chairman of the National Conservative Convention and deputy chairman of the Board | |
| Udi Sheleg | Treasurer of the Conservative Party | |
| Pamela Hall | President of the National Conservative Convention | |
| James Pearson | Vice President of the National Conservative Convention | |
| Andrew Colborne-Baber | Vice President of the National Conservative Convention | |
| Peter Booth | Vice President of the National Conservative Convention | |
| Alan Mabbutt OBE | Senior member of the professional staff of the Party | |
| Cllr Mark Hawthorne MBE | Chairman of the Conservative Councillors' Association | |
| Robert Forman MBE WS | Chairman, Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party | |
| Byron Davies | Chairman, Welsh Conservatives | |
| Anthea McIntyre MEP | Appointed by the Leader pursuant to Rule 12.10 | |
| The Baroness Sater | Appointed by the Board pursuant to Rule 12.12 | |
| Rt Hon Lord Hunt of Wirral MBE | Chairman, Association of Conservative Peers | |
| Sir Graham Brady MP | Chairman, 1922 Committee | |
| Elected by the 1922 Committee | ||
| Elected by the 1922 Committee | ||
| Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP | Elected by the 1922 Committee | |
| Stephen Phillips OBE | Secretary to the Board |
Primaries were held in a few seats, including Oxford West and Abingdon, Totnes, Gosport and Bracknell.
See main article: 2009 Totnes Conservative primary. Totnes was the first constituency to use an open primary to select the Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate. The election was held in August 2009 and saw a turnout of approximately 25%. Due to the success of this primary election, David Cameron announced that the system would be applied to other constituencies in future.[2] Dr Sarah Wollaston, a general practitioner, was selected with 48% of the vote.[3] Wollaston went on to be elected MP for Totnes at the 2010 general election.
The Bracknell primary was held in October 2009, and was won by Phillip Lee. Other candidates included Rory Stewart (elected as MP for Penrith and the Border in 2010) and broadcaster Iain Dale.[4]
See main article: 2009 Gosport Conservative primary. Gosport held an open primary to select a candidate to succeed Peter Viggers upon his retirement from Westminster.[5] [6] The election was held in December 2009. Caroline Dinenage, a local business owner and daughter of Fred Dinenage, was selected with 38% of the vote. Dinenage was elected MP for Gosport at the 2010 general election, with an increased majority.
See main article: 2014 Clacton by-election.
The 2014 Clacton by-election, caused by the defection from the Conservatives of Douglas Carswell, a prominent advocate of open primaries, selected actor Giles Watling over Colchester councillor Sue Lissimore on 11 September.[7] [8]
See main article: 2014 Rochester and Strood by-election.
The candidate for the 2014 Rochester and Strood by-election, caused by the defection from the Conservative Party of Mark Reckless to the UK Independence Party (UKIP), was chosen by a postal open primary.[9] Kelly Tolhurst, a local councillor, narrowly won over fellow councillor Anna Firth. Tolhurst lost the by-election to Reckless, but later won the seat at the following year's general election. Firth would go on to become an MP succeeding Sir David Amess following his murder.
| Constituency | Main article | Date of final selection | Candidate chosen | Conservative seat before election | Candidate elected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berwick-upon-Tweed[10] | Feb 2013 | No | Yes | |||
| Boston and Skegness[11] | 25 Oct 2014 | Yes | Yes | |||
| Croydon South[12] | 12 Nov 2013 | Yes | Yes | |||
| 30 January 2013 | Simon Marcus | No | No | |||
| Louth and Horncastle[13] | 28 July 2014 | Yes | Yes | |||
| Mid Worcestershire[14] | 22 November 2013 | Yes | Yes | |||
| North East Hampshire[15] | 17 November 2013 | Yes | Yes | |||
| South East Cambridgeshire[16] | 7 December 2013 | Lucy Frazer[17] | Yes | Yes | ||
| Tonbridge and Malling[18] | 2 November 2013 | Tom Tugendhat | Yes | Yes | ||
| Twickenham[19] | 5 September 2013 | Tania Mathias | No | Yes | ||
| Wealden[20] | 5 December 2013 | Yes | Yes | |||
| West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine[21] | 10 March 2014 | No | No | |||
| Yeovil[22] | July 2013 | No | Yes |