COLCHESTER Tories have delayed the selection process to find a candidate for this crucial Liberal Democrat held marginal seat but already local councillor and businessman Kevin Bentley, who fought the constituency in 2001 and 2005, has told the party he's not putting his name forward.

By Graham Dines

COLCHESTER Tories have delayed the selection process to find a candidate for this crucial Liberal Democrat held marginal seat but already local councillor and businessman Kevin Bentley, who fought the constituency in 2001 and 2005, has told the party he's not putting his name forward.

He's set his eyes on the new constituency of Witham, which includes large chunks of the borough of Colchester in its boundaries which stretches from Stanway through Tiptree to Hatfield Peverel and is expected to return a Tory MP with a handsome majority.

Mr Bentley is not alone in seeking this passage to Westminster. Expect applications from former North Essex Euro MP Anne McIntosh, whose Vale of York seat disappears under boundary changes at the next election, and Tim Collins, the Tory high flyer who carelessly lost his Westmoreland seat to the Lib Dems at the last election. They are both on David Cameron's gold list of candidates whom he wants in Westminster after the next election.

A word of advice to would-be Witham MPs at the selection meeting - whoever is chosen will have to have impeccable Eurosceptic credentials in this Europhobic part of Essex.

KEEPING the children amused during the long waits at airports following increased security measures has been taxing many parents - but when you have five children and the temperature is in excess of 40 degrees, it becomes a nightmare.

Brooks Newmark, Conservative MP for Braintree, his wife Lucy and their five kids suffered major delays as they waited for a flight back to England from Crete last week. “The situation was testing to destruction my ability to keep everyone entertained!,” emailed Mr Newmark from Heraklion airport.

When the flight delay hit four hours, and with the children becoming more fractious, Mr Newmark came up with an idea to keep the kids amused. In front of departure gate five at Heraklion airport, he set up a game of skittles, using some of the discarded water bottles in the terminal!

DAVID Cameron's dress code is forcing senior Tories to look decidedly scruffy.

Frontbencher Damian Green appeared recently on television looking a mess in a crumpled shirt with an open neck and, of course, no tie. Up popped Trade and Industry Secretary Alistair Darling on the same programme, shiny as a new pin in an immaculate suit, an impeccably ironed shirt, and a tie.

What would Mrs Thatcher say!

Her spokesman wore the finest Savile Row suits with starched shirts and sober ties, while Labour's spokesmen were in jeans and tee-shirts, which by no stretch of the imagination could be dubbed designer.