A former Three Rivers District councillor has emerged as a potential candidate to take over from James Clappison MP. 

According to Conservative Home, Councillor Chris Hayward is on a four-person shortlist for the seat, which is up for grabs after James Clappison MP announced he would not be standing for re-election in May.

If selected, it would be the third political office that Councillor Hayward holds.

He is currently a common councilman on the City of London Corporation, deputy leader of Hertfordshire County Council and was previously a senior member in Three Rivers Conservative Group.

According to ConservativeHome, the other three candidates for the Tory safe-seat are: Antonia Cox, currently a councillor in Westminster, Oliver Dowden, who is David Cameron’s deputy chief of staff and businessman Rishi Sunak. 

The four will battle it out for the Hertsmere seat at a selection meeting on October 7.