Fraser won on the second ballot, having given attendees a “clear understanding of how she thinks”.
The Bill passed its final Commons hurdle by 320 votes to 276, giving the Government a majority of 44.
Liz Truss joined the rebels – who came in at two fewer than those who supported key amendments yesterday evening.
These were two of the motions put forward by Robert Jenrick and Sir Bill Cash to toughen up the scheme.
“We fully appreciate that with such important roles there is also the issue of being bound by collective responsibility.”
One attendee described the selection meeting to ConservativeHome as having had a “very healthy turnout”, with a “great mix of people”, and a “warm and receptive” atmosphere.
Whatever Harrison’s personal qualities as a candidate, her selection has immediately been overshadowed by her personal life. Harrison is the girlfriend of Peter Bone: the current Wellingborough MP who has been forced to stand down.
Skidmore was already planning to stand down at the next election, but said his decision to resign now was ahead of a vote on Monday on the issuing of new oil and gas licences.
A note of caution: whilst many of them did actively abstain out of opposition to the Bill, some will have missed the vote for other reasons.
Sunak declared: “I will not allow a foreign court to block these flights. If the Strasbourg Court chooses to intervene against the express wishes of our sovereign Parliament. I will do what is necessary to get flights off.”
This continues the general trend of associations choosing male and local candidates.
The Government made a last ditch attempt to stave off the rebellion, but it was not enough to persuade senior Tory backbenchers including former Cabinet ministers Chloe Smith and Damian Green to back down.
Last week, ConservativeHome exclusively revealed that CCHQ will be bringing back ‘proper’ party membership cards. This will be in place of the ‘keepsake certificate of membership’ introduced in 2020. Members can vote online.
So, now that inflation is halved…And our growth is stronger, meaning revenues are higher…we can begin the next phase, and turn our attention to cutting tax.