MERIDEN Conservatives have confirmed a shortlist for their general election candidate includes ex-Downing Street chief Nick Timothy.
It follows Dame Caroline Spelman’s decision to step down from the Tory ‘safe-seat’ ahead of the election on December 12.
Meriden Conservative Association will select its next candidate to be MP – in the seat held by Ms Spelman since 1997 – at a hustings tomorrow night (November 5).
Mr Timothy is former Downing Street Chief of Staff for ex-Prime Minister Theresa May.
He resigned from his Downing Street role following the 2017 general election results, which forced the Conservatives to run a minority administration with DUP support.
Seen as instrumental in the election campaign, he was believed to be the fall-guy for a disastrous decline in Mrs May’s polling popularity as the 2017 campaign progressed, after she had called an early election.
He has since gone on to join the organising committee for the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
Charlotte Hodivala, a Conservative councillor on Birmingham City Council and former mayor of Sutton Coldfield, is also on the shortlist of three, as is Saqib Bhatti, the president of the Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce.
A Conservative Party source confirmed the shortlist to us.
Dame Caroline increased her majority to more than 19,000 with a seven per cent swing at the 2017 election.
