After Guido’s scoop this morning about CCHQ’s tactful start to the upcoming Heathrow By-Election, all sorts of other divisions have been emerging today. Many are asking what happened to the Tory love-in with open primaries, or even a basic selection meeting. The Commentator reports further embarrassment for Dave:  one former approved candidate did get a look in for selection, by UKIP:

 ”…the UKIP candidate, highly likely to steal more than the 992 conservative votes that Jerry Shadbolt took in 2010, is none other than former Tory candidate for Edmonton, Andrew Charalambous. The businessman and barrister is also the founder of ‘Surya’, the world’s first eco-nightclub which hosted the official ‘Conservative Future’ party in November 2010. Activists may be confused as to whether to campaign for Cameron, who delivered them government, or for Charalambous, who delivered them… booze.”

With the Tories in a strong second place in the seat, the form set by the Oldham by-election should mean that we will be seeing the LibDems taking a sham role in this race. With the backdrop to this election, we could easily see UKIP coming third.

Talking of Euro-sceptics. Word reaches Guido from his Brusselois co-conspirator that all is not well with the outgoing Roger Helmer MEP. Normally the rules state that whoever is the next down the party list, automatically replaces a resigning MEP. However not everyone in CCHQ is enamoured with the equally Euro-sceptic replacement Rupert Matthews. He is a little eccentric and likes UFOs, but that can hardly render you unfit for selection when Norman Baker is in the government.

Some obscure quirk of the party constitution is being cited as a way of over-ruling the convention, but Helmer is having none of it. He has declared that unless Matthews is anointed his successor he won’t be resigning after all…

As the Tories announce their candidate for the upcoming Heathrow Airport by-election, there was some rather loud grumbling in the ranks last night. CCHQ have gone with the seat’s two-time general election veteran Mark Bowen. He’s the head of the Tory group on Hounslow Council and is looking to over turn the late Alan Keen’s 4,658 majority.

Given that the local press declared Bowen had “virtually accepted defeat” before polling day in May 2010, many boys and girls on the CCHQ approved list feel there should have been some semblance of an open contest, but it was all quiet from HQ. So imagine how well this email was received, hot from the Candidates Office, hours before last night’s announcement was made:

“I am expecting every candidate on the Approved List to rise to the challenge and take part in the campaign and polling day. If you are unable to visit Feltham & Heston, you can help out in other ways by joining our call centre in Millbank or at CCHQ Midlands based in Coleshill.
…
I am enclosing your Campaign Support Record Sheet. Therefore it is vitally important to print a copy and take it with you whenever you go to Feltham & Heston. This sheet will be signed by one of our Sector Agents each time you go. At the end of the campaign the completed sheet should be returned to the Candidates Department at CCHQ”

It’s not the request that is causing feathers to be spat, rather the patronising handholding and school trip worksheets, handed out in silence about how the decision was being made. So unity and vigour for December 15. It’s going to be a frosty winter on the stump..

Strangely the Conservative Arab Network (C.A.N.) website has undergone a design change this afternoon. Above is their logo before and after Guido’s article from earlier today. Can you spot the difference?

Did Guido mention the Conservative Arab Network Limited was struck off the Company register earlier this year for not filing financial returns despite the directors getting three months warning? Will that be a problem for it becoming officially affiliated to CCHQ? 

In July 2010 Guido brought Trey Barnes to your attention. He was the defence lobbyist, of no less than six different aliases, who having been chased out of Washington was milling around Parliament with a pass sponsored by Michael Fabricant. He was close to the Atlantic Bridge crowd and used to run the Conservative Friends of America, despite being a Democrat. Well it seems Trey, or George F. Barnes III as he used to go by, is up to his old tricks again…

Guido has come across Mr Barnes’ business card for an organisation called the Conservative Arab Network. It’s run out of house in Ealing and has a bank account with Lloyds in Hammersmith. Despite the card saying Barnes is the Director, there is no sign of the organisation on Companies House. Crucially the card proudly carries the Tory tree logo.

The Conservative Party rules about logo use are pretty clear:

“The party logos are registered trademarks, they are provided for free use by approved Conservative Associations and Candidates only. For commercial or other use you will require written permission from the party. Permission to use the logo is at the sole discretion of the Conservative and Unionist Party.”

Guido simply asked Barnes whether he had sought permission. He replied:

“I do not have the Tory logo or any other party logo on a business card so am a bit confused.”

So Guido sent him this:

Whoops. Mr Barnes replied:

“That is not a business card – I am a volunteer with Conservative Arab Network – there is no compensation, not even expenses – this is part of my voluntary work as a private individual – Conservative Arab Network is an officially recognized organisation affiliated with the Conservative Party”

Or is it? An official statement given earlier said:

“The Conservative Arab Network is not officially recognised by the Conservative Party. In October 2011 the Conservative Arab Network  were sent a letter outlining the procedures they would need to follow to become affiliated to the Party. They have until the 30^th of November to submit details.”

Sources indicate that without that official approval, the organisation should not be using the logo or party branding and that the proper due diligence tests have not yet been conducted on the organisation or its director. So here we have yet another lobbyist embedded deep in the  murky world of defence and security lobbying giving out cards that would suggest some official connection to the party of government. Once is careless. Twice looks like “the next big political scandal…”

UPDATE: Michael Fabricant comments:

Just for the record, since my name is mentioned, Trey Barnes never had a House of Commons pass from me in Government and when he had it in Opposition, he signed an agreement never to use the pass it for lobbying purposes.

Another Sunday and another hit on “Dave’s candidate” for the Scottish Conservative Party leadership – Ruth Davidson. The Herald team report:

“The Conservatives’ top spin doctor in Scotland is under intense pressure over claims he has been advising a candidate in the party’s leadership election. Ramsay Jones, who as head of media has to be neutral in the contest, recently attended a meeting at Ruth Davidson’s home with her campaign strategists.”

The controversy focuses around a meeting on Sunday September 18 at the Cameroon former BBC journo’s Glasgow home. Jones, a party official paid for on short money, did a 150 mile round trip to attend. Officially, it’s  no comment all round, but Guido has spoken to other Scottish Tory figures who are fuming…

With one candidate ready to start all over again with a new party, and presumably new staff, the phrase “self-preservation society” is being thrown around an awful lot up north. Murdo Fraser’s plans have defined the entire debate to find a new Tory leader, and Davidson immediately became the “stop Murdo” candidate for those looking to save their own jobs. This meeting isn’t the first sign that the Tory establishment is backing Ruth, but it is the proof of the pudding.

While Cameron wants to keep out of this race, the timing of this story couldn’t be worse for him given that the candidates are going to come face to face at a conference hustings tomorrow afternoon in their first high-profile ding-dong. Given the temperature of the briefing going on this weekend it could get very messy…

UPDATE: Tory Party Chairman Baroness Warsi just told the Politics Show that she though Davidson was “fantastic”. There was no such praise for any other candidate. Seems the impartiality of the Party is well and truly out of the window…

The full extent of the havoc that the Department of Education mole has caused is beginning to emerge. Today’s FT reveals another internal email that Gove’s people would probably rather not see the light of day.

As Guido reported a couple of weeks ago, the department SpAd’s assistant, Matt Gillespie, loyal to Gove’s predecessor Ed Balls, had sight of the Gove team’s emails and computers and has clearly made the most of it. They must be wondering what else he walked out with before he went to work for John Denham. No wonder the Tories are on the hunt…

Chris Cook at the FT has taken the juiciest bits of an email sent by Gove’s loyal sidekick Dominic Cummings to other advisers suggesting that he would not be using his official email account anymore. What Cook fails to point out is that the full email, which Guido has put online here,  is about party political activity and sent to Conservative operational staff and spinners – something that arguably should not be done on government accounts. What does look a bit odd is the fact that he refuses to use his official party address either, opting instead for Gmail.

Chris Cook suggests that FoI  requests failed to turn up emails he has seen, thus breaking the law, however FoI does not apply to private party politics, only government business. While team Gove may be on the right side of the law here, it is muddy and hard to know where the line is drawn, eyebrows will be raised that Gove is allegedly using an email account in his wife’s name. If Labour have more from Gillespie to feed to Cook, this could get very messy…

CCHQ are cock-a-hoop pushing the line that Miliband now opposes every single spending cut. Not sparing any dramatics, they are hammering home by withdrawing his support for the police budget reductions, Miliband has now u-turned on supporting any named cut:

• Ed Miliband once said he would make a 12 per cent real-terms cut to central government’s contribution to the police budget. Now he wouldn’t make any cuts at all.
• Ed Miliband once said he agreed with time-limiting Employment and Support Allowance. Now Labour oppose it.
• Ed Miliband once said he agreed with reforming the Disability Living Allowance gateway. Now Labour oppose it.
• Ed Miliband once said he agreed with making savings in the roads maintenance programme. Now Labour oppose it.
• Ed Miliband once said he agreed with making reductions to the Legal Aid budget. Now Labour oppose it.

Sounds more like a conference speech than a press release…

As reported yesterday, Downing Street have signed off the plans for a mini-shuffle should the CPS press the big-red Huhne button. All talk of the one time leader in waiting being able to cling on, despite a charge, has withered away, even amongst his most loyal Praetorians online. As Guido told you back in May, the two LibDem front-runners for the Energy and Climate Change brief are Ed Davey and Jeremey Browne:

“Both are Orange Bookers, though Browne is seen as more right-wing which will likely dent his chances for the soppy climate change brief. Obviously Laws is toxic and Guido understands that Sarah Teather has little chance of a promotion.”

Huhne has managed to convince everyone he’s a bit left-wing, which makes Davey seem a likelier option. Though given he held the LibDems Foreign affairs brief before the election, it would make sense to pop him in the Foreign Office and promote the telegenic Browne to the Cabinet.

After she lost control of her backbenchers, leaving the Prime Minister floundering at the height of the phone hacking crisis, the speculation that Warsi is for the chop is growing. Grant Shapps is much tipped to replace her as Tory chairman. Newsnight’s permanent fixture Michael Fallon wouldn’t be too happy though. The current Deputy Chairman has been pressing the flesh recently…

Guido reckons two birds could be killed with one stone here. Shapps, the uber-loyal Cameroon Housing Minister could go and beef up the CCHQ operation, Warsi could stay out of trouble sticking little windmills on a map in Huhne’s old job, and a LibDem could replace Shapps. However it is unlikely that the yellows would be willing to swap a Cabinet job for a mere Minister. Though given the fact that Huhne walking would be their third Cabinet cock-up in a row, perhaps Dave should put his foot down.

Given the Yanks are in town to write about British politics, Guido thought he would turn his hand to the American presidential bid. Coincidently Republican front-runner Mitt Romney is also in London today to raise some cash from expats. He is trying to keep a low profile and avoid the media, though apparently he’s a little put out Dave is too busy to see him. Those McCain pictures still haunt some in Cameroon circles…

However  just because the visit is going under the radar doesn’t mean there hasn’t been any campaign fun and games. Romney was meant to be putting his cap around at the home of Sir Evelyn de Rothschild, but has been forced to move his fundraiser and other meetings to Dartmouth House in Mayfair instead.

It turns out Lady Rothschild is an extremely vocal supporter of Romney’s rival Jon Huntsman and has raised $1.2 million for him already. Apparently her position was made very clear…

Perhaps a coincidence that the Huntsman campaign poached Conyers Davies, CCHQ’s Head of Operations, at the end of last month…

A Millbank co-conspirator says…

“Just seen MERLIN (Election Software) reports ran summarising the seat left on a printer. Such an act of faith….”

Oh dear…