Fox demands clarification on British mission in Afghanistan

Liam Fox has written to Bob Ainsworth, Labour’s Defence Secretary, to ask for clarification on the mission of British troops in Helmand.

In the letter, Liam, the Shadow Defence Secretary, asks Mr. Ainsworth when the British mission in Afghanistan will shift away from frontline combat.

He wrote, “In light of what you said yesterday on the Andrew Marr show, that British troops will eventually begin undertaking a training and mentoring role to the Afghan National Army, and on top of the several enquires made by my team and me regarding the future role of British forces as mentioned in the Prime Minister's statement on 29 April, could you now use this opportunity to expand on your comments and those of the Prime Minster.”

Liam also asked Mr. Ainsworth:

• How many members of the Armed Forces are trained to drive Mastiff and Ridgback vehicles as of 17 August 2009?
• How long does it take to train a driver for each?
• Is the training for Ridgback shorter for those who have already been qualified to drive Mastiffs?

Cameron reopens candidates list

David Cameron has announced that he will reopen the Conservative parliamentary candidates list.

In an interview on the Andrew Marr show, David said he wanted to “open up the talent that is available in Parliament".

And he urged people to apply for our candidates list even if they have never been involved in politics before:

“If you believe in public service, if you want to help us clean up politics, if you share our values come and be a Conservative candidate.”

David said he wanted to see more "open primaries" where everyone in a constituency can vote for the next Conservative candidate:

"We have had open primaries for many of our candidates for the forthcoming elections and they have been really successful. Opening up the hall and saying to anyone in the constituency – whichever party they belong to – come along and vote for the next Conservative candidate has worked fantastically well.”

If you are interested in becoming a Conservative candidate and believe you would make a good Member of Parliament, please write to Gareth Fox at Conservative Campaign Headquarters (30 Millbank, London, SW1P 4DP) setting out why you would like to be a candidate, and enclose a copy of your CV. Please set out any work you have done in your local community, and achievements in your work or your personal life which you think would make you an effective MP.