The Tories are stepping up their seat selections, amid increased speculation that a new Prime Minister will mean an early election. Kemi Badenoch has talked extensively about the importance of attracting good quality candidates as she bids to show that the party has changed under her leadership. The selection process has been overhauled, with the Tories boasting that more than 2,000 people have now applied. One of those is Grant Shapps, the former Home Secretary. Such is his enthusiasm to stand that he co-founded the Conservatives Together organisation in 2024, to ‘provide the training and resources needed to help rebuild the party.’
Shapps though is understood to have not passed the selection process, according to multiple party sources. The former Member for Welwyn Hatfield is believed to be one of at least ten ex-MPs to have already failed their assessments, as the Conservatives step up selections in the aftermath of Andy Burnham’s election. The Conservative Party declined to comment on the specific claim that Shapps had not passed the party’s assessment process. In a statement a spokesman said that:
We don’t comment on individual candidate applications. That would not be fair to the people involved or to the integrity of the process. Kemi was clear when she was elected that the Conservative Party had to change and renew for the 2030s. That means running a tougher, more rigorous candidates process. We are focused on selecting the strongest possible team to win back public trust and to deliver a stronger economy and stronger country.
Shapps declined to provide a comment. One party source told The Spectator that ‘No doubt some who have failed the process will pop up in Reform to great fanfare when Nigel gets desperate for attention once he’s finished arguing with a bin.’ A friend of Shapps said ‘It’s surprising to see someone who was party chairman who actually won a general election being prevented from standing by the party.’
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