Tories Fast-Track Local Selection Rules As Party Struggles To Find Candidates
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch spoke at the headquarters of the Royal Academy of Engineering last week (Alamy)
4 min read
Exclusive: The Conservatives have introduced an optional streamlined selection process for local election candidates, as the party struggles to find people to stand for election across the country.
An official party document, seen by PoliticsHome, states that a new optional “streamlined selection process” is now in place for local election candidates in non-target wards. This fast-tracked process is designed to make it easier and faster to ensure every ward has a Conservative candidate.
The Tories have faced difficulties in finding enough candidates to fill council seats in by-elections since last year’s general election, which saw the party suffer its worst-ever result in terms of parliamentary seats.
Ahead of the May 2026 elections, which are currently expected to be bruising for both the Tories and Labour, local Conservative parties can choose whether to use the new streamlined process by holding a vote, with eligible wards chosen based on “factual winnability data”.
Under the streamlined process, candidates will still be required to fill out an application form. However, numerous elements will be removed from the form, including previous employment, reasons why your occupation might negatively impact the ability to be a councillor, campaigning experience, and what you hope to achieve if elected.
The form will still require candidates to fill out any criminal convictions, disclose anything that would "embarrass the party", and set out their eligibility to stand.
The approval panel will then review all the forms and select the candidates, skipping the usual stages of a member-led shortlisting and hustings. Interviews would only be carried out if there are multiple candidates or to reject an application.
The new streamlined process for Tory local candidates is not mandatory, but will be introduced as an option for non-target wards to avoid last-minute “emergency” selections that disrupt campaigning. The usual multi-stage selection process will continue to be carried out in target wards.
The Conservatives did not field candidates in two council ward by-elections in Norfolk in June, after they were unable to find people to stand. Reform UK candidates won both the seats, which are both located within the parliamentary seat of current Conservative MP James Wild.
In the run-up to May, when elections will take place in Scotland, Wales and parts of England, Tory figures are keen to ensure candidates are fielded in every seat – particularly with Nigel Farage's Reform hoping to run candidates in every seat and eyeing significant gains.
Reform is still leading in the national polls on an average of around 31 per cent, while Labour and the Tories are down to around 18 and 16 per cent respectively, according to Politico's opinion poll tracker.
A Conservative Party insider told PoliticsHome: “This has been a problem for the last 20 years, but why introduce this now?
“It speaks to the wider point of decline and decay in the party, which has become increasingly apparent in the last 12 months.”
PoliticsHome understands that these Conservative streamlined rules will be reviewed by the National Convention and the Conservative Councillors’ Association to monitor issues that might arise. It remains unclear whether this fast-tracked selection process will remain in place permanently or whether it is a temporary solution.
The fast-tracked process might raise questions about the vetting process of potential candidates – especially after Reform faced issues with vetting in last year’s general election. Farage’s party had to suspend several parliamentary candidates, including one who praised Adolf Hitler’s “brilliant” tactics.
PoliticsHome analysis published at the end of last month found that Reform had lost over 5 per cent of councillors elected in May 2025, which was described as an "unusual" level of churn.
The streamlined option could also effectively remove any Tory grassroots membership input into the selection process for some wards.
A Conservative spokesperson told PoliticsHome: “The Conservatives have robust procedures in place to select candidates.
“We look forward to offering everyone the opportunity to vote for a Conservative and Unionist Party candidate at the 2026 local elections."
