Several former Conservative MPs are still waiting to learn whether the Conservative Party considers them suitable to become Conservative MPs.
Among them is former cabinet minister Penny Mordaunt, who lost her Portsmouth North seat at the 2024 general election and has applied to join the approved candidates list.
Applicants reportedly expected decisions by the end of June. They remain in limbo several weeks later, demonstrating that the party has already recreated an authentic government recruitment experience.
Former MPs are receiving no preferential treatment. They must reapply from scratch, attend an initial interview and complete a six-hour assessment day.
This represents a significant improvement on the old selection procedure, which occasionally appeared to consist of owning a blue rosette and arriving before nominations closed.
THE SIX-HOUR TEST
The assessment is intended to establish whether applicants possess the qualities required of a modern Conservative candidate.
These presumably include conviction, communication skills and the ability to describe fourteen years in government as somebody else’s fault.
Former MPs face particular scrutiny. The Conservative chief whip is reportedly contributing opinions about how collegial they were while serving in Parliament.
This means candidates may be judged partly by former colleagues—the only people with less objective information about them than the electorate.
The process also examines whether applicants support the party’s current positions on net zero and withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights.
Previous Conservative policies are therefore being used to identify people who may be unsuitable for the present Conservative Party.
NO SPECIAL TREATMENT
The party insists that former ministers and associates of Kemi Badenoch will not receive preferential treatment or accelerated decisions.
This is entirely proper. Having already represented the party in Parliament, held ministerial office and appeared repeatedly on national television provides very little evidence compared with a psychometric test conducted in a conference room near Milton Keynes.
The delay has nevertheless attracted criticism from sitting Conservative MPs, who have reportedly described the process as a mess and complained about the treatment of former colleagues.
That criticism may itself become useful assessment material.
Candidates who object to administrative delay can be eliminated immediately for having unrealistic expectations of government.
THE VERDICT
Kemi Badenoch wants a disciplined parliamentary party whose candidates agree with its central policies. After years of rebellions, resignations and MPs changing parties like delayed passengers changing platforms, the desire is understandable.
The difficulty lies in rebuilding a party while testing applicants for loyalty to positions that may themselves change before the next election.
Penny Mordaunt and her fellow applicants must therefore continue waiting.
They have completed the interviews, survived six hours of assessment and supplied their political opinions.
All that remains is for Conservative headquarters to determine whether former Conservative MPs possess sufficient experience of being Conservative.
Given the available evidence, further checks may be necessary.
Lionel Carter
Beyond Parliament