2009 Totnes Conservative primary

November 2019 Conservative Party (UK) parliamentary primary in Totnes, 2009 United Kingdom presidential 24.6% no 4 August 2009 160x150px Sarah Wollaston 0087DC 7,914 48.0% 95x50px|Blank Sara Randall-Johnson 0087DC 5,495 33.3% 160x150px Nicholas Bye 0087DC 3,088 18.7% Prospective Parliamentary Candidate Sarah Wollaston The Totnes Conservative Party parliamentary primary of 2009 was the 1st open primary election used to select the Conservative Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for the constituency of Totnes. The election was held on Tuesday 4 August 2009 under the first-past-the-post system. The primary was triggered by Anthony Steen's announcement that he would not stand at the next election.Tory backbencher Anthony Steen to stand down following expenses revelations https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2009/may/20/anthony-steen-to-resign The Guardian May 20, 2009 This came just days after details of Steen's expenses claims were published in The Daily Telegraph. Background On 17 May 2009, The Daily Telegraph reported that Anthony Steen, MP for Totnes, had claimed over £87,000 on a country house with 500 treesAnthony Steen claimed £87,000 on country mansion with 500 trees: MPs' expenses https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5561256/Anthony-Steen-claimed-87000-on-country-mansion-with-500-trees-MPs-expenses.html The Daily Telegraph May 17, 2009 On 20 May he announced that he would retire from Westminster at the next election - the day after this announcement, he told BBC Radio 4's long-running lunchtime program The World at One that the Labour Government's Freedom of Information Act was to blame for making his expenses public. He also accused his constituents of being "jealous". Later that day, Steen issued an apology. On 8 June the Totnes Conservative Association advertised the position of Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Totnes - the deadline for applications was ten days following this. On 10 July it was announced that the Association would organise a constituency-wide postal ballot in which registered voters, regardless of their political affiliation, could select the Conservative PPC. Timeline 2009Thursday 18 JuneDeadline for candidate applicationsTuesday 14 JulyTotnes Conservative Association publish list of three shortlisted candidatesSaturday 25 JulyPublic hustings, moderated by Matthew ParrisTuesday 4 AugustDeadline for ballot papers to be returned. Result announced2010Thursday 6 MayGeneral election Candidates On 14 July the Totnes Conservative Association announced a shortlist of three candidates whose names would appear on the ballot. The candidates were: Nicholas Bye, Mayor of Torbay (2005–11) Sara Randall-Johnson, leader of East Devon District Council Sarah Wollaston, general practitioner based in Plymouth Campaign The three candidates campaigned throughout the constituency - each registered voter received a personal leaflet from each candidate as well as the ballot paper. Another Voice: I am proud to have joined the Totnes Tories in a pioneering political evening Parris, Matthew http://www.spectator.co.uk/columnists/matthew-parris/5228888/another-voice/ The Spectator July 29, 2009 Sarah Wollaston capitalised on the fact that she was the only candidate to not have had a political career and, at the public hustings, avoided taking a partisan approach, which proved favourable among voters.The real reason Sarah Wollaston won the Conservatives' Totnes open primary https://www.theguardian.com/politics/blog/2009/aug/06/why-sarah-wollaston-won-totnes The Guardian August 6, 2009Profile: DR SARAH WOLLASTON http://www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk/DR-SARAH-WOLLASTON/story-11827815-detail/story.html https://archive.today/20130505072451/http://www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk/DR-SARAH-WOLLASTON/story-11827815-detail/story.html dead May 5, 2013 This Is South Devon July 23, 2009 Results Almost one quarter of 68,000 eligible voted in the primary. Some Totnes Conservatives thought that Liberal Democrats had encouraged members to vote for Bye; if true the party raiding did not work, as he came in last.guardian20090804 Wollaston later said "I have no doubt that I was selected because I had no track record in politics but instead had experience in the NHS, education and as a police surgeon treating victims of domestic and sexual violence",https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/feb/10/creeping-patronage-house-commons-mps-whips Creeping patronage, new politics and the payroll vote Wollaston Sarah 2011-02-10 The Guardian 7 March 2014 live https://web.archive.org/web/20140306131938/http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/feb/10/creeping-patronage-house-commons-mps-whips 6 March 2014 dmy-all but one Conservative member told The Guardian of his fear that without a political background, she was the candidate Liberal Democrats could most easily defeat.guardian20090804 + Ballot: 4 August 2009 Candidate Votes Of total (%) Sarah Wollaston 7,914 48.0 Sara Randall-Johnson 5,495 33.3 Nicholas Bye 3,088 18.7 Spoilt 73 0.4 Plurality 2,419 14.7 Turnout 16,497 style="text-align:right;" 100 Wollaston elected Totnes PPC Cost There was concern regarding the cost of the vote after it was revealed that the primary had cost Conservative Campaign Headquarters over £40,000.https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2009/aug/04/tories-totnes-mp Tories hail victory for democracy as GP wins Totnes primary Morris Steven August 4, 2009 The Guardian 2019-11-26 Sparrow Andrew See also Conservative Party parliamentary primaries 2009 Gosport Conservative primary References External links Totnes and South Devon Conservative Association Category:2009 elections in the United Kingdom Category:Totnes Category:Conservative Party (UK) parliamentary primaries Category:2000s in Devon Category:Elections in Devon