Brighton Pavilion (UK Parliament constituency) Clarence Mitchell, a former BBC News reporter and spokesman for the family of Madeleine McCann, was selected as the Conservative Party candidate. On 26 April 2017, it was announced that the local Liberal Democrat party had chosen to not field a candidate in the seat during the upcoming snap election, endorsing Caroline Lucas instead due to their shared pro-EU stance. This occurred on the same night as the local Green Party stood aside in Brighton Kemptown in order to ensure the seat was not won by the Conservatives due to a split vote between progressive parties. Caroline Lucas retained Brighton
Conservative Party (UK) parliamentary primaries Conservative Party (UK) parliamentary primaries Since 2009, the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom has experimented with the use of open primaries to select some parliamentary candidates. Three primaries were held ahead of the 2010 general election in Oxford West & Abingdon, Totnes and Gosport. More than a dozen primaries were held ahead of the 2015 general election. Michael Ellis was selected for Northampton North in 2006. Totnes was the first constituency to use an open primary to select the Conservative Prospective Parliamentary Candidate. The election was held in August 2009 and saw a turnout of approximately 25%. Due to