According to local Conservative sources, Purbrick “won on the first ballot” in what was a “well-attended” contest.
He will be familiar to some readers as the former Chief of Staff for George Osborne between 2006 and 2015.
Local Conservatives described a slight air of “bewilderment” on the night when Robertson was joined by fellow members of Bembridge sailing club that he had signed up for the express purpose of voting with him.
They were: Bill Cash, Nick Fletcher, Adam Holloway, Karl McCartney, Joy Morrissey, and Heather Wheeler.
Warburton was the MP for Somerton and Frome, where there will now be a by-election. Hughes is the current MP for Walsall North.
He is a Hillingdon Borough Councillor, representing South Ruislip – and is also a Deputy Chairman of Uxbridge & South Ruislip Conservative Association.
They recommend a 90-day suspension and that he be refused the parliamentary pass customarily afforded to former MPs.
He was up against Olly Monk, a fellow Cornwall councillor, and Alex Rogers, who has worked for Grant Shapps. Each candidate gave “great presentations” and “would be brilliant MPs”.
A local source described him as the “only genuinely local” choice from the final three.
He stood in Hampstead and Kilburn in 2019.
All of the final three impressed in a selection contest with no clear frontrunner.
Peerages for Ben Houchen, Kulveer Ranger and Shaun Bailey. Knighthoods for Jacob Rees-Mogg and Simon Clarke. Priti Patel becomes a Dame.
This follows Emma Ware standing down due to ill-health.
Since Electoral Calculus currently gives Labour a 90 per cent chance of taking the seat, Lee faces an uphill battle.
ConservativeHome has learned that the Executive Council of the Selby and Ainsty Conservative Association will meet next Tuesday to select a final three or four candidates to go in front of the wider association on the Friday of the same week.