David Cameron sparks fresh cronyism row as former aide is tipped to replace him as MP in Witney
Natasha Whitmill, 32, worked for the former PM for more than a decade and was awarded an OBE in his controversial resignation honours list
DAVID Cameron sparked a fresh cronyism row after his former aide was hotly tipped to replace him as the MP for his safe Oxfordshire seat of Witney.
Natasha Whitmill, 32, worked for the former PM for more than a decade and was awarded an OBE in his controversial resignation honours list.
The Witney by-election will be held on 20 October, with the Tories almost guaranteed a win due to Mr Cameron’s massive 25,155 majority in 2015.
The West Oxfordshire Conservative Association will select their candidate tomorrow from a small list of “local candidates” approved by Tory HQ.
But an insider last night revealed Mrs Whitmill “is the hot favourite” and had made the final cut.
After leaving Nottingham University in 2005, she worked for nine years as Mr Cameron’s “Senior Constituency Researcher” and another two years as his local Press Officer.
At the 2015 Election she served as Mr Cameron’s election “agent”, responsible for running his effortless bid to hold one of the country’s safest Tory seats.
Since leaving Downing Street, Mr Cameron has been blighted by accusations of cronyism.
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His last minute doubling of severance pay for his departing Special Advisors was slammed by civil servants.
And the former PM’s resignation honours list that heaped gongs on dozens of personal aides, chums and Tory donors sparked cross-party outrage.
A slew of Oxfordshire local councillors have applied for the job including James Mills, Robert Courts and John Cotton.
But a source claimed that Mrs Whitmill was Mr Cameron’s “preferred candidate and has let that be known.”
Tory big beasts such as former Minister Esther McVey had been linked to the seat, as well as Eurosceptic heavyweight Dan Hannan.
However the shortlist drawn up by Conservative HQ featured only local candidates.
“It’s a Cameron stitch up to keep any Eurosceptics off the list” one source claimed.
Labour Shadow Cabinet minister Jon Ashworth hit out: “Not only has David Cameron blown £12 million of taxpayers cash on gongs, goodies and peerages for his pals he’s now trying to parachute his spin doctor into his old seat.”
He added: “This type of behaviour sadly gives political service a bad name.”