The Conservatives have chosen their candidate to defend the once rock solid Tunbridge Wells seat at the general election.

Kent born Neil Mahapatra, 44, was the winner from three on a final shortlist after Greg Clark stood down from the seat after 19 years.

Treasury adviser Simon Finkelstein and former Maidstone borough councillor Louise Brice were the defeated candidates at a meeting this afternoon.

Businessman Mr Mahapatra was born and brought up in Leeds village, near Maidstone, and is the son of doctors.

All three went before around 100 members of the local Conservative association at the community centre in Paddock Wood.

Oxford graduate Mr Mahapatra, who was President of the Oxford Union, received more than the required 50% of the members’ votes to secure the candidacy.

The trio all gave presentations before being grilled by the audience, followed by a secret ballot.

One member said: “Neil was very impressive and had all the right answers when he took the floor.”

His resume read: “I am a successful businessman, seasoned campaigner and long-standing party supporter.

“An authentic Conservative with two decades of grassroots activism and central achievement in our party, I launched the UK’s leading free school, have advised cabinet ministers and achieved a record swing (12%) when I previously stood for parliament (in 2010).”

Mr Mahapatra said he is the son of “two immigrant Kent doctors” who believed education is the “platform for opportunity”.

Mr Clark, 56, had been the MP for Tunbridge Wells since 2005 and was given three secretary of state roles in government, including the brief for communities and local government.

He enjoyed a 14,650 majority in what was regarded as a “safe” Conservative seat.

The constituency is now a top level target for the Liberal Democrats, whose candidate Mike Martin is now tipped by pollster Electoral Calculus to win.

Earlier this week radio presenter Iain Dale declared he was hoping to make it on to the shortlist. But yesterday he pulled out of the race after comments he made about the constituency on a podcast resurfaced.

The candidates so far for Tunbridge Wells are:

Conservative: Neil Mahapatra

Labour: Hugo Pound

Liberal Democrat: Mike Martin

Reform UK: Toby Stripp

Independent: Hassan Kassem

Green Party: John Hurst