Richard Tracey selected as Tory GLA candidate for Merton and Wandsworth

The former Tory MP for Surbiton Richard Tracey has been selected as the Tory GLA candidate for the retiring London assembly member for Merton and Wandsworth Elizabeth Howlett. Richard Tracey was previously Tory MP for Surbiton until losing his seat at the 1997 election to Lib Dem Ed Davey who managed to overturn a 13,000 majority in Kingston and Surbiton in one of the worst results for the Conservatives even in the Labour landslide year of 1997(and it was not even against Labour). Merton councillor Krystal Miller was also one of the shortlisted candidate and was unsuccessful in her endeavour to be the next GLA Conservative candidate for Merton and Wandsworth. A great deal has been written about Krystal selection exploits both past and present on the Recess Monkey site http://www.recessmonkey.com/2007/03/24/dodgy-dossier/

As the candidate he does not have have a hard act to follow in Elizabeth Howlett who the London Evening Standard named last year as the 'most ineffective Assembly member' with the comment 'if she had done a bit more work the Conservatives may have won Merton in May'. Whether Richard Tracey will be any better remains to be seen but hopefully they'll elect a Labour assembly member in May 2008.