Southend Tories vote on candidates to replace Sir David Amess

Sir David Amess was fatally stabbed during a constituency surgery in October

The local Conservative Association is to vote on Saturday to select its candidate for the by-election to find a successor to the late Sir David Amess.

Sir David, the MP for Southend West since 1997, was fatally stabbed during a constituency surgery in October.

Local councillors and Westminster candidates with links to Essex are understood to have applied.

Labour, the Lib Dems and Greens have said they would not stand in the by-election, expected in February.

Steve Laws is standing for UKIP.

The BBC understands no members of the Amess family are standing.

Applications are being assessed and shortlisted by Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) this week.

The BBC understands the final three will make speeches and take questions from Southend West Conservative Association members on Saturday before they vote for their preferred candidate, with the winner expected to be revealed on the day.

Southend is to become a city in Sir David Amess' honour

Gavin Chambers, who lives in Essex and has been a Epping Forest District councillor, confirmed he had applied.

He stood for the Conservatives in Islwyn in Wales in the 2019 general election and during the pandemic he said he went back to working as a nurse.

In a statement, he said: "I can confirm that I, like many, have put my name forward to be considered as a potential candidate for Southend West.

"Having met and campaigned with David, I know how hardworking and dedicated he was to his constituents and will be a very hard act to follow."

Two other potential Conservative candidates, Anna Firth and Seena Shah, with links to Essex, are understood to be applying, as is the leader of Castle Point Borough Council, Andrew Sheldon.

None have responded to the BBC for comment.

Sir David, whose funeral mass was held at Westminster Cathedral last month, was first elected as MP for Basildon in 1983

Tamkeen Shaikh, who lives in Southend, confirmed she had applied, having previously stood for the Conservatives for election to Southend Borough Council and for Parliament in the safe Labour seat of Barking in 2019.

She supported Brexit and when she applied to be a councillor wrote that "our young children, education, domestic violence, and climate change" were close to her heart.

Three Southend Conservative councillors have applied. Kevin Buck and James Courtenay, who both represent wards in the constituency and have held cabinet posts on Southend Council, and councillor Alex Bright are said to have applied according to sources and the Southend Echo.

As they have not stood in Westminster elections before they have had a parliamentary assessment by CCHQ.

Katie Channon, the daughter-in-law of Paul Channon who was the Southend West MP until 1997, is said to be applying.

She was recently widowed after Henry Channon died of a long-term illness shortly after Sir David Amess was killed.

Ms Channon is said to be well-connected politically and with royalty and, if successful, she would be the fifth member of the Guinness/Channon family to represent Southend in Parliament in the last 100 years.

One source said if she goes for it she could "blow the other candidates out of the water" and another said she was popular among local party members.

But others are concerned of how it would look if the seat was to return to the wealthy family.