AS Westminster fully embraces the slumber of recess, party apparatchiks turn their full attention to the most pressing issue facing them – whether they’ll still be in jobs next year.
That’s a cynical way of saying their minds are now tuned almost entirely to the next election.
SNP insiders say they are planning a barrage of attacks on Keir Starmer’s Labour over the summer.
Easy for them as he’s given them plenty of ammunition and ample space to the left to do so.
But in the corridors running beneath the gladiatorial arena, the SNP are preparing to pick their fighters as the beginning of the selection process nears.
The National has been told that nominations to be in the running for a Westminster seat open on Monday, with the vetting process basically wrapped up by this stage according to one insider.
The SNP have a slightly convoluted process for conducting nominations, partly because they're done mostly democratically and partly because Westminster’s constituencies don’t neatly map onto the shapes and sizes of local branches.
Firstly, Westminster Campaign Committees will be convened in all constituency areas to consider the nominees. These are made up of delegates from the local branches and the numbers are determined in a proportional system, with the biggest branch getting the most delegates and the convener position.
They have until August 21 to consider those putting themselves forward and draw up a longlist.
Nominees gain a spot on the list with the backing of their local branch. They must inform the national secretary of the party and the convener of the Westminster Campaign Committee.
They could, in theory, be rejected by the committee, though insiders say this is fairly unlikely. But in the event someone was deemed a bad fit, there is another route to being on the longlist.
A member popular enough to get 50 signatures backing their nomination from other local branch members would secure a place in the contest, subject to party vetting.
Vetting has been going on since last year, so most in the running to be a candidate will have already signalled some intention a while back.
Some sitting MPs will expect a challenge, others will not. Seats where the current MP is standing down, like in Paisley (Mhairi Black) and Central Ayrshire (Philippa Whitford), will likely see a larger pool of potential candidates and spicier internal discussions.
This is the fun part. Local members will be given some light entertainment at some point between August 24 and 27 if there is a contest in the form of hustings, where hopefuls will go toe-to-toe to gain the confidence of local members.
If there is a contest, the polls open on August 28. The election will be conducted, as all internal SNP elections are, through MiVoice – which was used during the leadership contest earlier this year.
Polls close on September 18 and results are expected from the following day onwards.
So there you have it. If you fancy a shot on the green benches, with a gruelling schedule of debates and votes, occasionally stretching well into the night and fighting with both the Government and the opposition, that’s how you can become an SNP MP.
AOB
- In a furious letter to the First Minister, Scottish Secretary Alister Jack has called on the Scottish Government to “cease” its efforts in campaigning for independence through the publication of new policy papers. The Tory MP said using taxpayers’ cash and civil servants to produce the papers was “simply irresponsible”.
- Lord Foulkes sparked fury among Yessers this week when he launched a crusade against the new independence papers – which set out official Scottish Government policy on what would happen after a Yes vote. He called on Scottish ministers to be fined for working on them and rather let the cat out of the bag when he revealed the Union was never intended to be a partnership of equals.
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