Tories select councillor for by-election to replace David Warburton as MP

The Conservatives have selected a councillor as their candidate to fight the by-election to replace scandal-hit David Warburton as the MP in Somerton and Frome.

Faye Purbrick, who sits on Yeovil Town Council and Somerset county council, was chosen to contest the vote likely to take place on July 20, the same day as two other electoral tests for Rishi Sunak.

Mr Warburton quit the Commons after an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment and cocaine use.

He admitted taking cocaine after drinking “tons of incredibly potent” Japanese whiskey, but denied allegations he harassed a female political aide in his Westminster flat.

The Somerset seat he vacated has been safely Tory since 2010, but the Prime Minister’s party is trailing in the national polls.

Mr Warburton defended the seat in the 2019 general election, beating the Liberal Democrats into second place by 19,213 votes.

Tory party chairman Greg Hands congratulated Ms Purbrick on her selection, tweeting: “She will be a great voice for Somerton & Frome locally & in the Commons.”

July 20 will see elections in London’s Uxbridge South Ruislip after the resignation of Boris Johnson and in Selby and Ainsty after his ally Nigel Adams quit.

A fourth MP, Nadine Dorries, has also announced her intention to resign but is yet to do so formally.