Sunak’s Deputy Chief of Staff and founder of centrist Tory think tank Onward Will Tanner has bagged a rare Tory safe seat. He was parachuted into Bury St Edmunds & Stowmarket last night – winning by a “landslide“. To much anger from the local Tories…

Local Tories have been complaining about Tanner – a known Remainer – being selected in a seat that voted to leave the EU in 2016 by 54.1%. Tanner has been cleaning up his digital footprint by unliking previously liked tweets on Twitter  – one of which wrote in February: “Brexit was always going to fail, forcing the Conservative Party into being the party of Brexit was always going to be a long-term mistake”. Not exactly a representation of the people in Bury…

Apparently the Tory bag carrier had a little help to get selected, having been given a list of names and phone numbers to call Tory members and get them on side. A big help that other candidates are not so lucky to have. One local Tory member tells Guido of their disgust: “Will Tanner has been calling members, we feel it’s a fait accompli…We are not overly happy with any of it”. Not a good start to connecting with your constituents…

Meanwhile other Tory SpAds have been hoping to stay in the political arena after losing their desks in Downing Street. Some have not been so lucky – former serial SpAd Anita Boateng lost out in Epping Forest, as did Cleverly’s SpAd Alice Hopkin in Southend. Other losers are Micheal Gove’s SpAd Henry Newman in Bexhill & Battle and Rishi’s SpAd Declan Lyons in Stratford Upon Avon. Serial applicant Seb Payne is shortlisted Surrey Heath. Tory chairman Richard Holden had to pull out of the selection process in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich last night after facing backlash from local members. Now he’s been shortlisted in Basildon & Billericay – he’ll find out tomorrow whether or not he’s been selected. Time is ticking…