A 39-year-old barrister, who specialises in human rights cases, has been chosen by Tories in West Devon and Torridge to be their standard bearer at the next general election.

Geoffrey Cox was selected at a meeting of more than 160 party members in Tavistock Town Hall last Friday —he defeated two other candidates bidding for a chance to fight the seat held by Liberal Democrat John Burnett.

Mr Cox, who lives at Kingston-upon-Thames in Surrey, was born in Wiltshire and educated at King's College, Taunton, before studying law and English literature at Cambridge. His father, Lt Col Mike Cox, was educated at Tavistock's Kelly College.

Geoffrey Cox and his wife, Jeanie — a former barrister — have a daughter and two sons.

Mr Cox succeeds Ian Liddell-Grainger, who fought the seat at the last election — he pulled out of the race to be Conservative candidate here to seek nomination in the safe Tory seat of East Devon.

But Mr Cox denied Mr Liddell-Grainger's departure suggested the Tories could not win West Devon: 'It's not my analysis that West Devon is a tough nut for the Conservatives to crack. We will have to work very hard, but I'm sure that we can win.'

Mr Cox, who joined the Conservative Party in 1991, also dismissed the view that the Tories had shifted to the right under their current leader, saying: 'William Hague is producing policies that are dead centre, common-sense policies.'

He said he fully supported the Conservatives' line on Europe and the single currency.

He believed the party 'needed to have a social policy and must reach out to people living in straitened circumstances'.

He said: 'This constituency is facing all the problems of rural areas under this government's policies, such as the closure of post offices and lack of public transport as well as the problems of farmers which must be taken up in a more direct way.'

As a barrister, Mr Cox has successfully defended citizens of Commonwealth countries who were facing the death penalty, but said he favoured 'in principle', its reintroduction in this country.

'A starting point would be to have the death penalty for hired assassins, contract killers, but it would have to be reintroduced in a very careful way,' he said.

He also said he favoured a bill of rights for British citizens — 'one that embodies the values that are distinctively our own, rather than the off-the-shelf European product that Labour are bringing into our law this October.

'I love the traditions of my country — I believe this government is a threat to them and is slowly damaging them.

'I am aghast that the Liberal Democrats are not speaking up and opposing the government; instead they want them to go further.'

Mr Cox intends to move to the constituency with his family as soon as possible — 'I won't be a weekend warrior,' he said.

The unsuccessful candidates at the selection meeting were South Hams councillor Jeff Beer, 54, and Peter Horsburgh, 48, from Wales.

The secret ballot of members resulted in a second-round run-off between Mr Beer and Mr Cox. All three candidates were described by constituency chairman Dr Joe Allen as 'solid Hague men'.

Liberal Democrat John Burnett holds the West Devon and Torridge seat with a majority of 1,957.