The Deputy Chief of Staff at Number 10 and a top education advisor are both hoping to become Suffolk MPs after being adopted by local Tories this week.

Will Tanner has been Rishi Sunak's deputy chief of staff for 18 months after previously working in Number 10 under Theresa May. 

He has now been selected by Bury St Edmunds Tories to contest the seat which became vacant when Jo Churchill decided to step down from the House of Commons.

Meanwhile former Department of Education advisor Patrick Spencer has been selected to run for the Central Suffolk and North Ipswich seat that was held by Dr Dan Poulter who defected to Labour in April.

Mr Tanner is married to Lizzie, a Director at the British Museum, with a three-year-old son, Horatio.

Speaking about his selection, Mr Tanner said: “It is an honour to have been chosen to contest Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket at the general election on July 4. 

“I love this area and I am ambitious for its future. With thriving businesses, beautiful countryside, and historic market towns and villages, Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket is the essence of England’s green and pleasant land and I will fight for it from day one. 

“I will campaign tirelessly for the things that matter to local people, whether that’s the new hospital in Bury, reviving Stowmarket town centre, backing local businesses and farmers, and upgrading local infrastructure such as roads and local buses.”

Mr Tanner said that central to his campaign would be the future of the new West Suffolk Hospital, Bury, which secured funding from the Conservatives in 2020. 

He said the Labour Party had said it would review all new hospital projects, including West Suffolk, which would pause investment and potentially put Bury’s new hospital at risk.

East Anglian Daily Times: Patrick Spencer with members of Central Suffolk and North Ipswich Conservatives.Patrick Spencer with members of Central Suffolk and North Ipswich Conservatives. (Image: Ian Fisher/CSNI Conservatives)

Mr Spencer lives near Woodbridge with his wife, Anna, who is a teacher and their two sons Leo and Jasper.

Recently he has been working with the Centre for Social Justice - but spent several years working as an advisor to several Conservative Education Secretaries.

He said: "I live in Suffolk and I'm looking forward to meeting people across the constituency during the campaign."

Both candidates were selected on Monday evening - and nominations for the general election close on Friday afternoon.