Cannock Chase Tory candidate selected for election
A councillor in Lancashire has been chosen to replace Cannock Chase MP as a Tory candidate at the next general election.
Amanda Milling, who grew up in Burton-on-Trent, came out on top of the all-woman shortlist of three candidates at a meeting on Saturday.
She has vowed to support local businesses and help create jobs in the area.
Miss Milling, aged 39, has servesd as a councillor in Lancashire for the last five years but is now looking for a house in Cannock.
Her father was managing director of the Britool Ltd tools firm, based on the Churchbridge Works in Cannock.
Mr Burley is standing down next year after just one term saying he had had a 'difficult time'. It came in the wake of heavy criticism over his attendance at a stag party in the French Alps in 2011 where he arranged for a Nazi uniform for the groom.
Miss Milling is now a company director for a market research business in Leeds.
She began leafleting for the Conservative Party when she was a teenager and has been a campaign organiser for local and general elections.
She said: "I am honoured to have been selected for Cannock Chase and it is great to be returning to Staffordshire as a prospective MP.
"I'll be living in the constituency to be as accessible as possible to residents, so they can easily come and see me for help and advice. It's really important that I work hard with both councillors and local people to really tackle the issues that matter.
"As a businesswoman, I understand the challenges that firms face. Creating jobs is essential to create a strong future for Cannock Chase, so I'll work hard to support local companies to create new roles for hard-working people in the area."
When Mr Burley won the seat in 2010 it came with the biggest swing to the Tories from Labour.
But over the past few years Labour's support has grown.
The Tories have also been pushed into third place on Cannock Chase District Council following the election of UKIP councillors in May and the resignation from the Conservatives of Mr Burley's fiancee, Councillor Jodie Jones, who now sits as an independent.
Mr Burley won a 3,195 majority in the 2010 election.
