Four left standing in Witham

SO there we are -  Witham Tories have confounded Ali Miraj and the doom merchants of the Labour Party and put an Asian woman, the highly intelligent Priti Patel, one time media adviser to William Hague, on their final shortlist of four.

Miraj last week said the Tories were only interested in choosing white, middle class men as candidates in winnable seats. Whether Witham go the whole hog and actually select Priti is another matter.  I'm sure Conservative Central Office is not putting any pressure on them as a result of the Miraj outburst - indeed, if it did, then Witham would show its independence and certainly not choose her.

Witham is one of the safest seats to become vacant since the birth of David Cameron's `A' list - its a new constituency which runs either side of the A12 trunk road and rail line south of Colchester to Hatfield Peverel. It has some choice Tory areas, but even Witham town itself should not be written oiff as a Labour enclave.

The men in the final four are James Brokenshire - poor chap, his Hornchurch seat has been redistributed under London boundary changes and so this newly promoted shadow minister is looking for a new - Charles Elphicke, who was raised in Essex, and the area's Euro MP Geoffrey Van Orden.

I've a feeling that its between Brokenshire and Elphicke, but it would be unwise to second guess what any local Tory association is looking for in a candidate.