The Conservatives have embarked on a drive to diversify their pool of potential MPs in the first large revamp of their candidate selection process for more than a decade.
Boris Johnson’s party has overhauled the way in which people are approved as possible MPs to prioritise diversity and campaigning commitment.
Existing members of the Conservative candidates’ list who want to keep open the possibility of becoming an MP were asked to reapply, with interviews taking place in the run-up to the party conference last week. The applicants are likely to be told of the decisions in the next few weeks.
Once people are approved as members of the candidates’ list they can apply for selection in vacant seats, with local Conservative members making the final
