Kieran Mullan has abandoned his plans to stitch-up the nomination for Chester South and Eddisbury, opening the door for a selection battle in the safe Tory seat. A meeting of the selection committee had been scheduled for 19th May to confirm or reject Mullan’s selection, however a statement has since been circulated confirming that the Crewe MP is now willing to open the field to competition. Mullan said:
“I have benefited from being able to speak to a wide variety of people locally (both involved and not involved in the selection process) and I have given all the feedback I have received a great deal of thought.
I would like to feel any process that selected me was fair and credible and would have the support of members. I think the only way to achieve that now is to be put forward to the final alongside other candidates to allow a choice by members. I appreciate the time and effort many of you have put into this process to date and thank you for your time.”
To translate – he spoke to local members and realised he was about to lose. Mullan was initially offered a place in the final three back in February, however he rejected it, claiming he was “entitled” to be the incumbent.
Mullan’s decision means a scrap for a rare Conservative safe haven is on the cards. Local sources expect a number of MPs will attempt the chicken run, whilst Richard Walker’s name is still getting mentioned as a potential candidate. Topping the list of potential seat-switchers is Andy Carter. Chris Clarkson is also rumoured to be interested as Stuart Anderson’s name got a mention too. All of whom are forecast to lose their seats on current polls…
After Guido previously reported that Kieran Mullan, the MP for Crewe, was mulling a chicken run to the new Chester South and Eddisbury seat, local news media revealed discontent amongst Crewe Conservatives, quoting one senior local figure. Guido hasn’t been able to corroborate wider discontent in Crewe, another senior Tory insisted nobody locally has a bad word to say about Kieran. This isn’t so true of neighbouring Eddisbury…
Kieran spent the day yesterday trying to drum up support amongst Cheshire councillors – and it hasn’t gone down too well. As a sitting MP affected by boundary changes, Kieran can have first dibs on any seat which was formerly part of his existing seat – it’s up to the local selection committee to decide whether to adopt him as their candidate. With Edward Timpson standing down in Eddisbury, the parts of Crewe and Nantwich subsumed in the boundary review could justify giving him a run at selection. A reminder – just one ward from Kieran’s old seat has moved to the new one.
Although Eddisbury is somewhat receptive to Kieran’s candidacy – one source reminded Guido that Eddisbury has a chequered history with big name wets, as potential candidate Richard Walker might be – local Tories don’t like the way his chicken run is being handled. In line with Greg Hands’ expressed strategy, there is a perception that CCHQ is delaying the timetable and foisting Mullan on the seat. If Mullan can build support locally in time for a selection decision, it would avoid wider competition. To quote a senior Conservative councillor, “Eddisbury wants choice”.
With Edward Timpson announcing his intention to stand down ahead of the next election, the somewhat solid Tory seat of Chester South and Eddisbury is now up for grabs. Guido understands neighbouring Crewe and Nantwich MP, Kieran Mullan, has been putting his name forward in local conversations. The justification for such a decision: a single ward has moved to the Eddisbury seat (now Chester South and Eddisbury) in the boundary review.
A quick look at the polls is all you need to see why Kieran really might want to jump ship. Polling aggregator UK Polling Report forecasts Crewe and Nantwich to go red, whilst Eddisbury is sitting on a much less marginal majority.
If Kieran gets his way, it won’t go down well with his local party. He’s already pledged to stand for re-election…
However, he won’t be unopposed. Frozen food nepo baby and eco-loon extraordinaire Richard Walker is also in the running for the seat. He’s seen as a strong candidate with solid links in the area, so will give Mullan a run for his money – though, as an existing MP, Mullan will receive priority. Co-conspirators hoping for a speedy resolution may be out of luck – any decision is unlikely to be finalised before the local elections. Guido approached Mullan for comment. One to watch…
