New party launched by Sir Paul Judge

Sir Paul Judge (pictured), the multi-millionaire businessman who ran Conservative Central Office when John Major was Prime Minister, has decided to set up his own political party. Called the Jury Team (JT), it aims to set itself apart from Westminster’s old-style tribal divisions and appeal directly to the general public via the internet.

Judge, 58, former chairman of the food company Premier Brands, says he is hoping to field a full complement of 72 candidates in the European elections in June as a prelude to campaigning in the next general election. In an effort to make JT as democratic as possible, nominees will be invited to submit their applications online and the public will then vote by text message, X-Factor-style, to select the candidates they want.

Judge told the Sunday Times: "These days the party selection processes of candidates are about as undemocratic as it gets. We think independent people can make good decisions. We use that model for juries. If you put a group of sensible people together and show them the facts, they’ll make good decisions."
 
The aim, says Judge, is to attract prominent figures such as Shami Chakrabarti, head of the human rights group Liberty, who has campaigned against the controversial introduction of ID cards. "We are offering people the chance to make a difference. If you stand with us you won’t be whipped [in the way parties make MPs toe the line], and all the money we raise will be invested in supporting our candidates’ campaigns.”

Judge, estimated to be worth £30m, is bankrolling the new party with three other financiers. The Jury Team has not yet been formally launched, but its website is already running, seeking donations and recruiting 12 regional organisers for the coming campaigns. ·