11 Questions about your constituency PPCs

As candidates start lining up for next year's elections the qualities that local constituency voters will look for in prospective parliamentary candidates will be very different to the qualities that central Statist party HQs look for. 2010 will be our chance to clear out the last of this Rotten Parliament, and elect ourselves a House of Commons that does justice to the British people who returned them there. To this end I'm re-publishing a slightly modified check list that I suggest you use to gauge the quality of your local candidates. The test is blind; it's unbiased towards any particular party, sex or other irrelevant candidate characteristic. It's a test of the one quality that has been singularly lacking in this Rotten Parliament - merit.

1. Have they served in the fighting forces, or in humanitarian or aid organisations in which they put themselves at risk for the good of others?
2. Have they undertaken or do they undertake voluntary or pro bono work in the local community for the good of others?
3. Would you trust them enough for them to know something deeply personal about you?
4. Have they demonstrated their competence over a number of years in a trade or profession, excluding 'politician' or 'political organiser'?
5. Do they have an established connection with or family, educational or residential history in or adjacent to the constituency?
6. Do they demonstrate sufficient nous for you to feel comfortable that they can understand complex issues?
7. Have they shown that they are industrious?
8. Are they open and inclusive, neither 'chippy' nor distant, and can they fairly represent the diversity of people in the constituency?
9. Have they demonstrated that they take pride in this nation and its institutions, by having (for example) participated in civic and national events such as Remembrance Day services or major anniversaries?
10. Have they demonstrated probity in their personal life?
11. Would you trust them to put the interests of the nation and constituents above those of their party and themselves every time they vote in the Commons?

I suggest you score them out of five on each question. I suggest any candidate scoring fewer than 25 marks is simply not up to the job.