The Tories have finally and definitively closed the door on any return Amber Rudd may have been hoping for, by opening candidate selections in her seat of Hastings and Rye. Before her expulsion she was in two minds about hopping to a safer seat for the next election anyway…

Ahead of an inevitable election, the Tories have also opened selections in

• Meriden – retiring Caroline Spelman’s seat
• Ruislip, Northwood & Pinner – retiring Nick Hurd’s seat
• Sevenoaks – retiring Sir Michael Fallon’s seat

Seats with an average majority of 18,365. Ripe pickings for prospective careerists, though you need to get your application in by this Friday…