Conservatives in Wokingham have chosen their replacement for MP John Redwood after he made the surprise decision to stand down ahead of the July 4 general election.

Investment banker Lucy Demery won the selection on Friday, May 31, to become the Conservative Party’s candidate for Wokingham.

She said: “I’m honoured to be selected as the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Wokingham. I’m excited to work hard for residents to get things done.

“A new generation of Conservatives is stepping forward to offer a bright new future for our communities and our country.”

READ MORE: John Redwood speaks out after standing down as candidate

Demery has worked as a managing director for Barclays Investment Bank and Standard Chartered.

She beat former Scottish National Party MP Lisa Cameron—who defected to the Conservatives in October last year—in the selection race to replace Redwood.

She previously attempted to be selected as the Conservatives’ candidate for nearby Henley but lost to Caroline Newton in February this year.

Wokingham Conservatives had already chosen Redwood to stand again as their candidate as early as February 2023, having represented the constituency since 1987.

But just days after prime minister Rishi Sunak called the election last month, Redwood announced he wouldn’t stand after all – in what he described to the News as a ‘recent decision’.

Demery’s main challengers are Liberal Democrat Clive Jones and Labour Party member Monica Hamidi.

Jones has said he believes he can be the Liberal Democrats’ first MP for Wokingham. In a video message to social media on Friday May 31 he said he had a ‘warm reception’ while out campaigning in Evendons.

READ MORE: Berkshire Tories face challenge in strongholds, says expert

He said: “If we can keep getting this for the next five weeks this is going to be a very, very good result here in Wokingham.”

Monica Hamidi – a councillor in the west London borough of Ealing – was chosen as Labour’s candidate in Wokingham on May 23.

She has said she can be ‘the change Wokingham needs’ and claims that her campaign ‘hit the ground running’ when she launched it last Tuesday, May 28.

Speaking after her selection she said the choice in the election is between the Conservatives and Labour. She said: “I promise as your local voice to stand up for our communities, to fight for what is right and be part of delivering the change this country needs.

“I came into politics to change people’s lives for the better – and that means changing the government. The choice is between a Labour government or more of the same under the Conservatives.”