Theresa May's ex-adviser to run for Matt Hancock's seat in next election

Theresa May's erstwhile main of unit has been selected by the Conservative Party to combat for Matt Hancock's spot astatine the adjacent wide election.

Nick Timothy has been confirmed arsenic the party's campaigner for West Suffolk.

Mr Hancock presently serves arsenic an autarkic MP, having been suspended by the Tories successful November aft joining I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!

Mr Timothy resigned arsenic Mrs May's associated main of unit aft the Tories mislaid their bulk successful the 2017 election.

Local Conservative councillor Lance Stanbury welcomed Mr Timothy's selection, saying helium understands section issues. He is reported to person families ties to the area.

Rachel Hood, seat of the West Suffolk Conservative Association, said it had been a "rigorous, unfastened and transparent process".

Mr Timothy resigned arsenic an advisor to Mrs May aft the 2017 election, successful which the premier curate failed to triumph an expected majority, having to strike a woody with Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party.

At the time, helium said helium took work for his relation successful the "disappointing" result, urging Tory MPs to "get behind" Mrs May.

Mr Hancock - who won West Suffolk with a 23,000 bulk successful 2019 - congratulated Mr Timothy connected his candidacy, calling him a "fantastic choice".

The erstwhile wellness caput has held the spot since 2010, but was suspended from the enactment past twelvemonth aft signing up for I'm a Celebrity, attracting wide criticism. He came third.

In complaint of the country's Covid response, helium was forced to resign from the furniture aft information camera images showed him kissing a colleague, breaking societal distancing rules.

He has said helium wants to permission Parliament to find "new ways to scope people".