Two barristers, an entrepreneur and an education campaigner are on the four-strong shortlist to be the Conservative Party's next Parliamentary candidate in Croydon South.
Suella Fernandes, Lucy Frazer, Chris Philp and Charlotte Vere were selected for the final stage in the race to succeed incumbent Richard Ottaway MP after interviews on Saturday.
The leader of Croydon Council, Boris Johnson's right-hand man and three Downing Street advisers all failed to make the shortlist.
Coun Mike Fisher, deputy Mayor of London Kit Malthouse and former No.10 adviser Shaun Bailey were among the recognisable longlisted names who did not make the cut.
Oliver Dowden, David Cameron's deputy chief of staff, and Laura Trott, the Prime Minister's adviser on women's issues, had also been longlisted.
The Croydon South Conservative Association will vote to choose a candidate from the final four tomorrow.
Whoever is selected is almost certain to be the next Croydon South MP as the Conservatives had a 28 per cent margin in the constituency at the 2010 election.
The full shortlist:
- Suella Fernandes, barrister
- Lucy Frazer, barrister
- Chris Philp, entrepreneur
- Charlotte Vere, executive director of the Girls' Schools Association
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