CONSERVATIVES in the Chatham and Aylesford constituency have selected political consultant and party “A” list candidate Tracey Crouch to take on sitting MP Jonathan Shaw at the next general election.

Ms Crouch, 31, was chosen ahead of two other parliamentary hopefuls, including former Maidstone school pupil Jamie Devlin.

Ms Crouch was brought up in Kent and educated at Folkestone Grammar School for Girls. She works as a political policy adviser for Norwich Union and has, in the past, worked as an aide for Ashford MP Damian Green and former party leader Michael Howard.

She also worked for 18 months as chief of staff for David Davis, the shadow home secretary, until the general election.

She is the second prospective candidate to have been chosen for a Kent seat from David Cameron’s controversial “A” list - an elite group of candidates chosen to try and increase the number of women and ethnic minority candidates at the next election.

Fellow “A” list candidate Laura Sandys was chosen as prospective candidate for Thanet South last month.

Labour MP Jonathan Shaw retained the seat at the last election in 2005 with a majority of 2,332.