• The post you are reporting:
   
  In Totnes the Conservative Party has held the first 'true' Open Primary' in the UK to select its Parliamentary candidate.
  
  This is the way it works:
  The local party selects a shortlist of potential candidates any of whom it considers to be suitable to be their candidate.
  
  There is then a postal ballot of all the electorate in the Constituency. Yes, all the electorate of whatever Party they may vote for, belong to or none. It does not matter that members of other Parties vote as the candidates have been previously vetted. I do hear though, in Totnes the LibDems have been trying to get their people to vote for the man they consider to be the weakest candidate. That said he would not even be a candidate if the local association thought him weak, so it matters not.
  
  The idea behind this is that given a chance to become involved in the selection procedure, the local population will feel more involved, more will go out and vote at the main election and the Party may even pick up some extra helpers and members for the election.
  
  Eric Pickles, Conservative Chairman, says that if just 15% of the electorate vote it would be a triumph for democracy and a well worthwhile exercise. The cost is the drawback though at an estimated £40,000.
  
  Well the ballots are being counted as I write this.
  
  How many decided to vote: I have it on good authority that 25% of the electorate in Totnes voted to select their Conservative candidate.
  
  That is a massive endorsement of the Open Primary process by any measure. No-one expected anything near as high a figure as that.
  
  A successful experiment and perhaps a model for all parties to select candidates in future, despite the costs. What do you think?

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