Tories are on the hunt for 'authentically Conservative' candidates to beat Reform UK

The Conservatives are on the search for an army of candidates who will oust Labour, halt the advance of the Liberal Democrats and stop the party of Thatcher and Churchill being eclipsed by Nigel Farage's Reform UK. A priority is that the men and women wearing the blue rosette will be "strongly Conservative" - not people who could happily sit in the ranks of another party.

One of the biggest complaints you hear from diehard Tories is their party was infiltrated by people who had more in common with the Lib Dems. This is especially true if they harbour sharp memories of the Brexit wars and are angry about the toppling of Boris Johnson. The hunt is now on for "authentically Conservative candidates" and the party is advertising for a new "head of candidates". He or she will be charged with finding people of the "calibre to stand for elected office and contribute to a future Conservative government".

This is not just about getting ready for the next Westminster election. They need to find the best possible candidates for the Welsh Parliament elections, with a recent poll suggesting the Conservatives could suffer the humiliation of being pushed into fourth place in the Senedd contest. This vote will take place in less than a year and a recent YouGov poll put the Tories on 13%, behind Labour (18%), Reform UK (25%) and Plaid Cymru (30%).

It would shake Labour to its foundations to lose an election in Wales. The party has held the First Ministership since the dawn of devolution in 1999. But the demolition of the Tories in Wales - where the party won 14 MPs in 2019 but not one in July - would frighten Conservatives into thinking this is a foretaste of what awaits across the UK with the rise of Reform. That could unleash panic on the Opposition benches; as Mr Johnson said, "when the herd moves, it moves."

This month's local elections were expected to be terrible but the scale of the rout has deepened fears the party faces a truly existential crisis. The new head of candidates has a crucial role to play in ensuring the Tories' survival.

Disaster awaits if the smart, young Right-of-centre men and women with an appetite for frontline politics instinctively think about standing for Reform instead of considering the Conservatives.

If the twenty-something David Camerons and Boris Johnsons of the future believe Reform offers a more exciting opportunity to reshape Britain then the Conservatives will face a dangerous deficit of talent, ideas and campaigning energy.

Kemi Badenoch's party needs candidates whom the electorate can imagine running the country. If Conservative contenders are anything less than A-grade then a public which is still angry about the fiascoes of the last 14 years will not consider putting them back in power.

A series of electoral calamities between now and polling day would strengthen Reform's narrative that the Conservative party is stumbling towards extinction.

The Tories need candidates with deep roots in the communities they want to represent, who champion local issues and forge bonds of trust with voters.

The party must reverse the expectations of decline and do better than expected in future rounds of local elections - and the 2024 London Mayoral race is an opportunity it must not flunk. Boris Johnson's election as Mayor of London in 2008 signalled that a Conservative rebirth was possible, though Tories would not enjoy a Westminster majority until 2015.

The job description for the head of candidates says he or she must ensure they are selected in a "fair, transparent and timely manner". In other words, this is not the time for allegations of stitch-ups and fights between Tory factions.

Reform will jump on any suggestion a candidate with scant local links is being parachuted into a traditionally safe seat. Likewise, the party must ensure the cupboards of candidates do not contain skeletons which will horrify voters in the run-up to polling day.

This is a tough job but one of the most important at Central Office. Whoever wins can judge their tenure a success if the Tories are taken off the endangered species list.