Nick Timothy to fight the West Suffolk constituency for the Conservatives at the next General Election

Nick Timothy, the former chief of staff to ex Prime Minister Theresa May, has been nominated to fight the West Suffolk constituency for the Conservative party.

He was selected at the weekend to fight the seat at the next General Election by the local party.

Matt Hancock, currently holds the position as a independent, having the Tory whip removed in November when he agreed to appear on the ITV reality show “I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here!”

His controversial move drew anger from some members of his local Conservative association and he is due to stand down at the next General Election.

Mr Timothy is believed to have strong family ties to the constituency, which Mr Hancock won in 2019 with a 23,000 vote majority.

Local Conservative councillor Lance Stanbury was reported to have welcomed the selection of Mr Timothy, who remains a prominent voice in Westminster circles and in the media.

Chair of the West Suffolk Conservative Association Rachel Hood said it had been a “rigorous, open and transparent process” while Mr Hancock Tweeted: “Many congratulations to Nick Timothy, a fantastic choice as Conservative candidate for West Suffolk.

“Being local MP for West Suffolk has been a huge honour the past 13 years. Best wishes for his campaign – he’ll make a terrific Member of Parliament.”