I feel for Iain Dale. Not appearing on the A-list is one thing. But losing out to Adam Rickitt? Really and truly.

David Cameron is reported to have said:

"This is not about appearance, this is not about political correctness. It is about being more effective," he told reporters.

"I want to make sure the conversation the Conservative Party has in Parliament amongst itself is like the conversation we need to have with the rest of the country."

This is Adam Rickitt the actor, yes? More effective? Not about appearance? Because the country is really made up of pretty-boy soap "actors" / minor pop-stars isn't it?

Still, I knew very little about Adam Rickitt until I had visited his rather amusing website. I know we shouldn't sneer at the democratic process in action. Hey ho. This is quite funny though: he calls his production company Narcissus Films. Indication of a sense of humour? Ironic? Or just plain vain?

Still, he used to play rugby and it seems he was a hooker (however implausible this sounds):

Hookers are famed for being quite nasty players...
Yeah, I was always really sly. You can be a lot dirtier when you're a hooker because no-one can see you in the middle of the scrum - you can bite and punch. I had this great trick: I'd free my arms from my team mates, grab the opposing hooker and put my head between his legs so he couldn't move. Then I'd be able to hook the ball backwards. If he'd try to hit me I'd be able to head-butt his bits. It was a great little trick.

Yes, great little trick.

But at least we know he doesn't mind binge drinking (reprinted from The Sun (Scots Edition) 23 March 2001):

Former Coronation Street Heart-throb Adam Rickitt will return to Scotland in a bid to win a marathon booze challenge.

Adam - who shot to fame as hunky Nicky Tilsley in the ITV soap - tried to drink Edinburgh's famous Rose Street dry on his first visit to the capital last year. He managed to stagger to ten different bars before finally admitting defeat.

But now Adam - who also had a top five chart hit with Breathe Again - is gearing up to tackle the wacky drinking game again this weekend when he returns to star in the musical Rent at the Edinburgh Festival Theatre.

Adam revealed: "My first time in Scotland was when I was touring with the Smash Hits Roadshow. One of my backing dancers made a bet with me that he could beat me in a pub crawl along Rose Street. I had never been there before and didn't realise it has about 50 bars."

"I started drinking pints in about the first 10 bars, then I had to move on to half pints. I only made it about 50ft along the street before basically passing out. To be honest my memory of that binge is a little hazy to say the least, there were just too many pubs."

"I was absolutely bladdered. But I feel Scotland is the kind of place you can get p****d and people will think it's all right. It's not like London where folk are more interested in what designer clothes you were wearing than having a good time."

"But I'm determined to do a lot better this time around - I want to go double the distance. Although I better not attempt it on the opening night. I think I'll have to wait until the last evening for that one as I'd hate the critics to write "the leading actor was clearly hungover as he winced and covered his ears whenever he struck up a song.""

Puts William Hague and Charles Kennedy in the shade.

Yes, I rather feel that the Tories are on to a winner with Adam Rickitt.