Conservative party chairman Richard Holden has been selected last minute as Basildon and Billericay candidate despite Tory fury.

Mr Holden was presented to Conservative association members yesterday as the sole option for a candidate, dashing expectations that there would be a vote on a shortlist of three candidates.

A source close to the association chairman has informed the Echo of the association executive's decision in a meeting last night to adopt Richard Holden as Basildon and Billericay candidate. 

Mr Holden has not responded to comment.

Basildon and Billericay has been deemed a "safe seat" after being represented by Tory John Baron since 2010, before he announced last October he would be standing down. 

At the last General Election, Mr Baron won with a landslide majority of 20,412 votes. 

Yesterday, local Tories responded furiously after Mr Holden, until recently the MP for North West Durham, was the sole candidate presented on what was expected to be a shortlist of three names.

A spokesman for the Tory party said: "We do not comment on selections.”

In the party's parliamentary selection rules agreed by their party board in May, party rules state that 48 hours ahead of the close of nominations, shortlists will be cut down to one.