Clacton: Conservative MP Giles Watling re-selected as candidate

Giles Watling said he was "very relaxed" about the local members deciding his political future

A Conservative MP has been reselected as party candidate for the next general election despite not be automatically picked by senior local Tories.

Giles Watling has been chosen by the wider local party membership in Clacton, Essex, to fight the seat at the next general election.

A source close to Mr Watling said he won the ballot, which closed on 5 May, by "a decent margin".

Another source said the result had been "very conclusive".

Last month, executive members of the Clacton Conservative Association voted not to automatically re-adopt him as their candidate at the next general election, which is due in January 2025 at the latest.

Prior to his reselection, Mr Watling said he wanted "another go on the merry-go-round".

• Conservative MP loses local reselection vote

Other Conservative MPs have had trouble getting re-selected by their local party memberships.

Jonathan Djanogly, the MP for Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, will stand down at the next general election after losing support from local members.

Hertfordshire MP, Julie Marson, was not automatically re-adopted by her Hertford and Stortford Association, but also won a vote of members to be re-selected.

Mr Watling won Clacton in the 2017 general election. He told the BBC last week he wanted to serve one more parliamentary term.