Workington MP Mark Jenkinson has been selected by Conservative Party members for the new Penrith and Solway seat.
It was announced last night that Mr Jenkinson was the preferred candidate.
Existing Penrith and the Border MP Neil Hudson had also stood for selection for the new constituency.
In a social media post, Mr Jenkinson said: “I am delighted to have been chosen to represent the Conservatives in the new Penrith and a Solway constituency at the next election the constituency in which I live, in which I spent much of my childhood and over half of which I have represented since 2019.
“Until then my focus remains my constituents in my current Workington constituency.”
Last month, Mr Jenkinson revealed he had the backing of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Mr Johnson hailed him as “the right choice for Penrith and the Solway; one of the stand-out Conservative MPs from the 2019 intake, and an asset to the area and the party”.
Mr Jenkinson said he helped 200 constituents a week and told the Herald: “I’ll be contesting the seat and doing so on my record of delivery. I fully recognise constituencies are made up of many different people, sectors and businesses, and one thing I can’t be accused of is favouring one over another. I fight for every single constituent and put my constituency’s needs first.”
Neil Hudson has held the safe Penrith and the Border seat with an 18,000-plus majority after the departure of the high-profile Rory Stewart.
Out west, Mr Jenkinson’s candidacy and win over Labour, attracted much media interest and was drawn as a bellwether for the Tories toppling the ‘red wall’.
It is estimated that around 60 per cent of the newly-drawn constituency – which has yet to be approved – falls within the existing Workington boundary.
Only a third covers territory in the Penrith and the Border seat.
