THE attempt by David Cameron, the Conservative leader, to get more women and ethnic minorities onto the Tory benches in the Commons failed its first test last night when party members rejected centrally selected candidates to fight a by-election.

Two candidates from Cameron’s “priority list” made the final shortlist of three to fight the by-election in Bromley and Chislehurst, south London, left vacant by the death of the former minister Eric Forth.

However, constituency association members last night selected the third candidate, Bob Neill, a locally chosen man, above the woman and the Asian man sent down from Central Office.

Neill, 53, the leader of the Tory group on the London assembly, and other Conservatives at the meeting played down any suggestion that the selection result represented a victory for the local party.

“The whole point of David Cameron’s policy, which I very much support, is that we want to give people the widest possible choice of candidates,” said Neill.

Earlier, Forth’s widow Caroll had been knocked out in the first round of interviews by the local party association. Sources said she lacked experience.

Before the selection weekend, Cameron had made an appeal to the 1,000 members of the Bromley and Chislehurst association. He defended candidates selected centrally for inclusion on his controversial priority list, which has been criticised for putting “beautiful people” such as Adam Rickitt, the former Coronation Street actor, and Louise Bagshawe, the romantic novelist, ahead of local campaigners.

Forth, who was 61, served as a trade and an education minister in the 1990s and enjoyed a majority of more than 13,000.

Before his death last month from cancer, the MP had told members of his local party that he would do all he could to prevent a priority candidate being foisted on them to succeed him.

Senior Tories chose not to run the risk of provoking an open clash with the Bromley association. Francis Maude, the party chairman, decided not to impose candidates on it from the priority list, although he has the power to do so.

In the event, two of the three names that made it to the shortlist were from the priority list: Syed Kamall, a Tory MEP, and Julia Manning, chairwoman of the Conservative Christian Fellowship.

The by-election on June 29 is the first poll scheduled since Cameron drew up his new ideas for selection, which are designed to ensure that fewer Tory MPs are male and middle-aged.

On Friday Cameron used a Tory weblog to address critics from his party, standing by his priority list but insisting that the Bromley party was not being forced to pick from the list.

However, the Tory leader declared it was time for everyone in the party to “will the means” needed to end the “total scandal” that less than 10% of the parliamentary party was female. “Anyone who believes in party democracy should wholeheartedly support the drive to get more women and BME [black minority ethnic] candidates selected in safe and winnable seats. We’ve been willing the end; it’s time we willed the means as well,” he wrote.

“Please don’t insult the hard-working, dedicated people on the priority list. Have a look at them. Leaders of councils. Candidates who’ve stood in difficult seats in difficult times.”

Other candidates for the seat include Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence party in the European parliament. he Liberal Democrats are fielding Ben Abbotts, their environment spokesman on Bromley council. The local Labour party will meet today to choose its candidate.

The Tories went to considerable lengths last night to emphasise that the selection result did not represent a clash between the constituency and Central Office.

Neill was heard telling Maude by mobile telephone: “I promise you I’ll put my best foot forward, mate.”

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