If Boris ‘would be king’, who will be the kingmakers?
Assuming all goes to – still slightly vague – plan, and the Mayor of London clears the hurdle of Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) approval before setting his sights on Uxbridge and South Ruislip, who will be responsible for handing him not just the road map to his much anticipated political return but, if gossip proves true, the keys (to be kept in a safe place for later use) to Number 10?
Step forward Councillors Wayne Bridges, Eddie Lavery, Alan Chapman, Teji Barnes and the leader of Hillingdon Council, Ray Puddifoot.
It is the responsibility of this ‘star chamber’ to procure a handful – probably between three and six – successful candidates from the hundreds of hopefuls expected to throw their hat in the ring for the seat vacated by Sir John Randall.
And time is running out for hats to be thrown.
CCHQ – the old Conservative Central Office – has opened nominations, and by Friday, September 5, a shortlist will have been drawn up.
“Boris will have to get a move on,” said Mr Puddifoot, who spent much of Wednesday, August 6 doing media interviews.
He admitted Boris’s announcement had come out of a clear blue sky but accepted his hand had been forced with time running out in which to declare and with questions about his intentions pressing.
Mr Puddifoot, Mr Bridges, as chairman of the Uxbridge and South Ruislip Conservative association, Mr Lavery, its deputy chairman (political), Mr Chapman (in charge of membership) and Ms Barnes will all troop off to CCHQ to help with the sifting, before returning to Uxbridge with their shortlist.
Mr Puddifoot has told getwestlondon.co.uk that the local association wants the membership to decide who will represent it in the 2015 general election, and met last week to decide the procedure.
The shortlist will go to a members’ vote, on Friday, September 12, probably at Ruislip High School in Sidmouth Drive, when the person to represent the Conservatives in Uxbridge and South Ruislip at the ballot box in 2015 will be named.
The crucial vote will probably take place at Ruislip High School in Sidmouth drive.
With the Battle Of Britain commemoration ceremony and flypast taking place up the road at RAF Northolt the same night, what odds of a Spitfire thundering overhead as Boris is crowned?
How is Boris doing in our player 'rumour meter'?
Boris in the borough - in pictures
This morning, (Thursday, August 7), Radio 2 DJ Chris Evans suggested no one knows where Uxbridge is. We complied a list of a few things we feel put Uxbridge on the map.
