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SECRET SHORTLIST OF HOWARD WANNABE SUCCESSORS REVEALED

The Folkestone and Hythe Conservative Association's secret shortlist of six candidates in the race to succeed Michael Howard has been revealed to the Hawkinge Gazette.

We understand from a reliable source that there are no local names and all six are from David Cameron's so called 'A' list.

The list, we have been told includes Harriet Baldwin who fought Stockton North in 2005 but was beaten into second place by the Labour Party candidate Frank Cook.

Damian Collins who came second also in 2005 to Labour's Sally Keeble in Northampton North.

Chris Heaton-Harris  who is a  Euro sceptic MEP for the East Midlands

The Leader of Brentwood Borough Council  Brandon Lewis. Kulveer Ranger, a senior management consultant who writes a weekly column for a national Asian newspaper.

Laura Sandys, a businesswoman who has been an active member of the Conservative Party since she was born. Her father being, Duncan Sandys, a Member of Parliament and life peer who was Defence Secretary in Harold Macmillan's government and the son-in-law of Winston Churchill.

The six will be interviewed on Friday (30 June) when the list will be cut to the final four.