Novice MP in charge of candidates for next election
A 37-YEAR-OLD MP who only entered the House of Commons seven months ago has been put in charge of selecting Conservative candidates for the 2022 general election as Theresa May seeks to broaden the appeal of the party.
Kemi Badenoch, who was brought up in Nigeria and introduced Mrs May’s ill-fated leader’s speech at the party conference in October, becomes vice chairman for candidates.
The Tories are expecting to start selecting candidates to fight the next election in the next few months, putting Ms Badenoch in an influential position over the next generation of Tory MPS.
Ms Badenoch, who entered Parliament at last June’s election, is one of nine new vice chairmen appointed by Mrs May in the reshuffle, taking the total number of party vice-chairmen to 13.
Ethnic minority and younger MPS were promoted in an attempt to modernise the party following a disastrous general election and in response to an apparent surge in support for Labour among young people.
The new appointments include James Cleverly, the media-friendly backbencher, who takes over as deputy chairman. Ben Bradley, who is in his late 20s and only entered the Commons in 2017, becomes vice chairman for youth.
Pakistan-born Rehman Chishti and Helen Grant, the former sport minister, become vice chairmen for communities. Chris Skidmore, Andrew Jones and Marcus Jones gave up paid ministerial positions to take up unpaid roles of vice chairmen for policy, business and local government respectively. James Morris becomes vice chairman for training and development.
The moves follow an internal review of the Tories’ election performance by former cabinet minister Sir Eric Pickles, which recommended changes to attract more young and ethnic minority voters to join and support the party.
In the changes Brandon Lewis, the immigration minster, took over as Conservative chairman from Sir Patrick Mcloughlin, the veteran minister who has taken some blame for the party losing its majority in June. Mr Lewis’s appointment
‘I know you need to bring talented ministers on to secure the future of our party and the country as a whole’
was seen as reward for the Tory MP’S enthusiastic support for Mrs May’s leadership campaign 16 months ago.
Mr Lewis, 46, has proved himself over the past few months to be a safe pair of hands handling the politically tricky brief of immigration minister in the Home Office after spells as housing and planning minister in the Communities and Local Government department.
As part of the ritual exchange of letters with Sir Patrick, Mrs May said it was important to make changes to put the party on a “strong footing to fight and win the next general election”. In his resignation letter, Sir Patrick said: “Some important changes have already been made and following the Pickles Review; the party needs to consider how it will go forward.
“We have so much talent right now in the junior ministerial ranks and on the backbenches and I know you need to bring them on to secure the future of our party and the country as a whole.”
Mrs May replied: “Since the election, you have overseen important work to learn the lessons of that election – commissioning, with me, Sir Eric Pickles’s report, and overseeing the preparation of a business plan which will put the
party on a strong footing to fight and win the next general election. It is now the right time for a new chairman who can implement the plan and important changes over the long-term.”
Maria Caulfield is made vice chairman in charge of women’s issues.
Tory MPS cautioned against suggestions that Ms Badenoch will be in sole charge of candidate selection.
One Conservative MP said there was “a bit of unease about Kemi and candidates.
“She’s great but inexperienced – Brandon Lewis will do it in real life.”