5:51pm Monday 15th February 2010
East Surrey Conservatives have chosen their candidate for the coming General Election.
The East Surrey Conservative Association has selected 33-year-old Sam Gyimah to contest the seat.
Mr Gyimah, who has been described as a rising star in politics, and by Shadow Education Secretary and Surrey Heath MP Michael Gove as “a superbly talented and hard-working young man,” was picked from a field of six hopefuls to replace Peter Ainsworth, who is standing down after 18 years.
Mr Gyimah was adopted at a meeting of East Surrey Conservative Association’s membership last Saturday.
The next day he joined members of the Horley branch on a membership drive in the town.
Born in Buckinghamshire, Mr Gyimah was educated at a state school and Oxford University where he was President of the Union, following in the footsteps of William Hague and Boris Johnson. He began his career at an investment bank before starting a company which helped 4,000 low-skilled and unemployed people into work, and for which he was voted CBI Entrepreneur of the Future in 2005.
He was chairman of the Bow Group, a long-established and influential think tank, and has published an anthology of essays on the future of the Conservative Party called From The Ashes, with contributions from David Cameron, David Davis and other Party luminaries.
He said: “I am thrilled to have been selected and I’m looking forward to working hard for all the people of Horley, irrespective of their political colour.”
In response to the selection, Mr Ainsworth said: "I warmly congratulate Sam Gyimah on his selection by East Surrey Conservatives to fight the next General Election.”
He said: “The hard work starts now. I very much look forward to working with Sam in the weeks ahead, and wish him every success on polling day."
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