Bob Neill, the partner of a senior Southend councillor, has been selected to fight the Bromley and Chislehurst by-election.
Mr Neill, partner of Southend deputy mayor, Daphne White, is currently Tory leader in the London Assembly.
He beat off competition from two candidates from Tory leader David Cameron's A-list.
The by-election, on June 29, was prompted by the death of Tory MP Eric Forth.
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