Personally, I've never paid too much attention to the Conservative selection process for Westminster candidates, but things have taken a new twist since David Cameron's failed attempts to pull his MEPs out of the European People's Party.

Due to boundary changes, two "stalwarts" of the Tory party were forced to go head to head for the new Thirsk and Malton seat. John Greenway (current MP for Ryedale), who is an outspoken Eurosceptic, and Anne McIntosh (current MP for the Vale of York), who is a former MEP.

Surely, if we are to believe what we are told, grassroots Tory activists wouldn't dream of supporting a pro-European if there is a viable alternative available. Wrong. Ms McIntosh won the battle, and comfortably at that.

As Cameron prepares to attend his first meeting with EPP "colleagues", he could be forgiven for being more confused than ever.