Ever-helpful, Inside Croydon today launches its virtual open primary to guide Croydon South Conservatives over their choice of parliamentary candidate.

Dr Rachel Joyce: one of 14 facing selection by Croydon South’s Conservatives. Who would you vote for?

With 14 Tories having thrown their hats into the ring, there’s no shortage of choice when they assemble before the selection panel this weekend, with the final selection to be made on November 12.

Commendably, at Tonbridge and Malling, the parliamentary candidate was chosen at the weekend by an open primary, in which all constituents, and not just members of the Tory party, were able to cast a vote. Sadly, the Conservative party has determined that the wider public of Croydon South are not to be trusted with such a democratic initiative to find a suitable replacement for that champion of expenses claimants, Tricky Dicky Ottaway.

So here at Inside Croydon Towers, we’ve decided to give you that chance. Only one vote per reader, remember. If the outcome of our polling ahead of Labour’s Croydon Central selection (Sarah Jones 45 per cent; Alison Butler 44 per cent) is anything to go by, then we may get a strong indication of the final outcome.

Brief biogs of each of the 14 candidates, together with our unique #areyoulocal ratings – with one point if they have ever been to London, and scoring two points if they’ve ever knowingly ventured south of the river – can be found by clicking here.

• Read more on this topic here: Top candidates provide Croydon with chance of fresh start

Coming to Croydon

• Frankenstein’s Travelling Freakshow: Nov 5-8
• Poppy Cafe, Coulsdon, re-opening: Nov 9
• The Kings of Summer: Nov 11
• St Giles School open morning: Nov 13
• Secret Love at the Ashcroft Theatre: Nov 14
• Summer in February: Nov 18
• Much Ado About Nothing: Nov 25
• Future Tech City: Nov 30
• Comedy in Music show: Dec 1
• Steve Knightly at Stanley Halls: Feb 5

• Inside Croydon: Croydon’s only independent news source, based in the heart of the borough – 262,183 page views (Jan-Jun 2013)
  
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