Tories yet to select candidates in nearly half of marginals

Out of the 75 most marginal Labour and Lib Dem held seats, the Conservatives have selected only 41 candidates for the next election, according to the Independent. Labour, on the other hand, have selected candidates in all but two of their top 50 target seats:

With only a year to go until the general election, this shortage seems to suggest the Tories are not expecting to gain many seats. By this stage in a parliament, a party hoping to make substantial gains would usually have almost all of their target seats filled, so that their candidate can build name recognition in the constituency.

As activists from all parties will tell you, the later the selection process takes place, the more likely it is to end up with a parachute candidate imposed by HQ. This can upset local members, which is a danger for the Conservatives at a time when they are already haemorrhaging enthusiastic activists to UKIP.

With the Tories only 20 seats short of an overall majority in the Commons, and the polls so close with just a year to go, their apparent lack of ambition is puzzling. Could it be that they’ve already given up hope of a Parliamentary majority?