‘Thatcherite and patriot’ Chris Philp selected to represent Croydon South in next general election

The conservative candidate who lost to Labour MP Glenda Jackson during one of the tightest election battles in the country has been selected to stand for Croydon South at the 2015 general election.

Chris Philp, who stood for Hampstead and Kilburn in 2010 and lost by just 42 votes, was selected by local conservative party members on Tuesday.

The 37-year-old, who lives in Lisburne Road, Gospel Oak, saw off competition from three other hopefuls in another hotly-contested vote.

He is set to succeed Richard Ottaway MP who has been the Conservative representative for the area since 1992 and was the first elected chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee.

With the seat won with a margin of almost 16,000 votes in 2010, Mr Philp is unlikely to see the kind of battle he was forced to fight against Labour stalwart Ms Jackson MP three years ago.

Tory campaigners had even speculated it would be London Mayor Boris Johnson who would be taking up the reins of the ultra-safe seat.

Instead Mr Philp, an entrepreneur who describes himself as a “Thatcherite and patriot”, will be hoping to see off opponents himself in 2015 and said it “hopefully won’t be so close this time”.