The Tories have selected Nigel Gardner as the candidate for the new constituency of Harpenden & Berkhamsted. His dedication to the Tory party doesn’t exactly have a long history…

Gardner must have forgotten to mention his Labour past – he was the Labour candidate for Tory heartland Suffolk Coastal for Westminster in 2001, and Brussels in 2004 and 2009. He also fought for the Lichfield seat in 2005, in a losing effort against none other than… Michael Fabricant. Fabbers tells Guido that despite their past political differences, Gardner “was rather a cut above the other candidates Lichfield Labour Party usually select”, and “we both found it rather awkward that in the GE hustings we agreed on most things.” Fabbers won with 48.6% of the vote compared to Gardner’s 32.4%…

Now Gardner’s damascene conversion is complete, and he’ll wear a blue rosette at the next general election. Fabbers claims he later met up with his defeated opponent for drinks on the House of Commons Terrace, and they had a “very interesting chat“. Apparently Michael was the one who suggested he joined the Tories in the first place…