A FORMER Cheshire man has been adopted as Conservative parliamentary candidate to contest the newly revamped East Hampshire seat in the next general election. Damian Hinds, 37, was selected out of 100 applicants, all keen to take on a constituency which, possibly for the first time ever, will embrace Alton, Petersfield and Bordon. As part of the final selection process, Mr Hinds was one of four finalists invited to address a public meeting in Alton on Thursday. There he told delegates that British politics was "at a turning point" and that the Conservatives had a "fundamentally different ambition for our society" from Labour or the Liberal Democrats. He cited a fair deal for rural areas, improvements in the NHS, and creating a high-skills economy as key Conservative priorities. From grammar school in Cheshire, Mr Hinds achieved a first-class honours degree at Oxford, where he was also elected as president of the Oxford union. He went on to spend 10 years in strategy, marketing and e- commerce in the hotel and travel business. He is a former chairman of policy development group, the Bow Group. He fought the 2005 general election in the parliamentary seat of Stretford and Urmston where he achieved a swing of 6.7 per cent from Labour, cutting its majority from more than 13,000 to 7,850. He will move to the constituency imminently and will be joined by fiancée Jacqui, a former pupil of Alton Convent, after they wed in the summer. He said: "My first priorities are to meet many more people around the area and hear what they want from politics and politicians; and to help in securing a strong result in the council elections on May 3." Standing down at the next election, current East Hampshire MP Michael Mates said he was delighted to welcome his successor saying: "I know he will work hard to get himself known. It is a wonderful seat in a glorious part of the world and I know how lucky and privileged I have been for all these years." I wish both Damian and Jacqui every happiness in their future life here." Pictured: Damian Hinds (left) with MP Michael Mates.
