Simon Hughes admits the Lib Dems are so needy that they will take anyone as a candidate [Wanted: Lib Dem MPs, no experience necessary] – even non-members of the party. But an email has been forwarded to me from the new Tory Head of Candidates that suggests the Tories might be scraping the barrel as well.

David Park, claims in the email that “since we have secured extra resources for the department we have agreed we should extend the deadline for receipt of applications. Contrary to comments in the press we have received a very large number of fully completed applications, several hundred in the last five days alone, from members of the Approved List for the last parliament.”

Translated he means “we have not received any applications except from people who write in green ink“. The once massive Tory activist base is that undermined by them being out of power for a decade and the more fanatical having been lured over to UKIP. So if you fancy being a Tory candidate call David on 020 7984 8069, but unlike the LibDems, non-members of the party need not apply. However he would particularly like to hear from non-white, non-male, non-public school, non-lawyers, non-bankers, non-Christian, normal people, preferably under 40.