Open election not open at all

2:50pm Thursday 19th July 2007

I write to express my disappointment with the manner in which the recent Conservative Primary was conducted. As a constituent in Hendon, I was pleased to hear of an 'open' primary election to choose the next Conservative candidate.

Unfortunately the experience was anything but 'open'. The candidates, facing a veteran interviewer, all made excellent contributions, facing some tough questions on their plans for Hendon. However, for me, and other members of the group I attended with, this part of the evening was overshadowed by the opaque and shady manner in which the nomination process took place.

Having nominated our favoured candidate for the role, we were told Matthew Offord had been 'crowned' the winner. There was not any mention of how the other candidates performed, no breakdown of the vote and no opportunity to ask for a recount if the vote had been close - we were just told.

This has left me disillusioned. I am particularly angered by the fact that the vote itself was not binding. It has to be ratified by the Conservative Association, in case it didn't get the 'right result', as a local Tory confided in me.

If the local Conservatives choose to hold another open primary in the future, they need to learn the public is not just a rubber stamp for who the local association wants.

Mary B Lateef
Abbots Road
Edgware