A 29-year-old lawyer has been chosen as the Conservative Party’s candidate to succeed Sir Graham Brady at the next election.
Oliver Carroll will be the Tory candidate in the Altrincham and Sale West constituency when the nation next goes to the polls.
A former Altrincham Grammar School for Boys pupil, Carroll is from Hale Barns and is a senior associate with London-headquartered international law firm Clifford Chance. He’s understood to split his time between Hale Barns and the capital.
Sir Graham, also a former Alty Boys pupil who has represented the seat since its creation in 1997, announced in March that he will be standing down at the next general election.
Carroll, who Michael Crick on Twitter reported won with more than 50% of the vote, beat Laura Evans and Atifa Shah on the shortlist.
Evans, the wife of current Trafford Council Conservatives leader Nathan Evans, had previously been a Timperley councillor and was the Conservative candidate in the last Greater Manchester Mayoral elections. She had stood for Parliament previously in Wirral West. Shah had stood for election in Rochdale in 2019.
According to Crick, Carroll was chosen after “an old-fashioned selection where a candidate won through their performance on the day. According one source, Oliver Carroll came across very strong and with clear ideas of what needs to be done’.”
Speaking after result was announced, Carroll said: “I am delighted to be selected as the Conservative candidate in my hometown.
“Sir Graham has done, and continues, to do an excellent job as our area’s MP and I will do everything I can to make sure I can step into his shoes at the next general election.
“I know people living and working here want an MP to get on with the job and deliver for them on the government’s plans.
“The people’s priorities in Altrincham and Sale West are the government’s priorities, and Rishi Sunak has my support as he strives to halve inflation, grow the economy, reduce debt, cut waiting lists and stop the boats.”
At the next election, which is most likely to take place in autumn 2024, Carroll is likely to face the stiffest competition from Ben Hartley, who was selected as Labour’s Parliamentary candidate for Altrincham and Sale West back in March.
Hartley is currently a councillor for Trafford’s Ashton Upon Mersey Ward and is chair of the authority’s planning and development management committee.
Hartley said at the time: “It is such an honour to have been selected as the Parliamentary candidate for Altrincham and Sale West, the constituency that I call home and where I’ve seen my children grow up.”
