Tories dump soap star

Former soap star Adam Rickitt has been abruptly dumped from his first Tory selection contest, dealing a blow to David Cameron's reforms.

The one-time Coronation Street actor, male model and would-be pop star failed to make a list of 20 candidates for the Folkestone and Hythe seat being vacated by Michael Howard, the Standard has learned.

Among those going through to another round are Simon Walker, the Queen's former press adviser who is now a media executive, and Priti Patel, a former Conservative press officer who temporarily defected to the late Sir James Goldsmith's Referendum Party.

Both are on Mr Cameron's controversial A-list of favoured candidates being advanced for safe and winnable seats.

Senior officials in Folkestone and Hythe are insisting that four local candidates go through to the next round of selection. They may follow the example of Bromley and Chislehurst which snubbed the A-list to choose London Assembly group leader Bob Neill to fight a by-election.

The A-list is at the heart of Mr Cameron's campaign to change the face of the Conservatives by replacing middle-aged, white, male candidates with younger, more varied people, including more women and ethnic minorities.

Mr Rickitt, 29, became a target for traditionalists who claimed people of experience were being pushed aside for youngsters with no proven ability. Mr Cameron reacted to the Alist wrangle by warning he would impose more drastic measures if local associations boycott his reforms.

"Positive action can only work if Conservative associations want it to work," he said. "If it is working we will expand priority lists. If not, we will have to look at something else."

One Folkestone and Hythe member said locals did not want to be pushed into accepting unsuitable candidates. "The reason Adam Rickitt has been dropped is that he had no political experience," said the member.

"To follow someone of the calibre of Michael Howard, we need somebody who has a real grasp of the issues, both local and national, and a solid background as a party activist."

Mr Rickitt wrote an article earlier this week complaining about the criticism he was facing. He claimed the backlash was being exploited by enemies of Mr Cameron's reforms.

The row came as a survey of Conservative activists revealed growing antagonism to the architect of the selection reforms, Tory chairman Francis Maude.

Since January, the net satisfaction rating for Mr Maude has slumped from plus 28 points to minus four, according to the monthly poll carried out by the leading Tory weblog, ConservativeHome.com.

It makes him the most unpopular shadow cabinet member among the website's users. By contrast, Mr Cameron is riding high on plus 75 points while Rightwingers William Hague and David Davis are both on around plus 80 points.