THE man who fought West Devon and Torridge for the Tories at the last election has pulled out of the race to contest the seat.
Ian Liddell-Grainger, 40, announced this week that instead he is to seek the nomination in the safe Conservative seat of East Devon.
The move follows the decision by East Devon Tory MP Sir Peter Emery not to fight the next general election — he holds the seat with a majority of 7,489.
Mr Liddell-Grainger was first selected by West Devon and Torridge Tories four years ago.
They recently started their latest selection process and he was among the favourites to secure it.
But he said this week: 'I want to be an MP — this is my career — and East Devon is a safe Conservative seat.
'In West Devon, the Tories have to win the seat back. It will need a swing of about three per cent and we don't know where the anti-European vote will go.
'The seat is winnable, but it will be winnable because of national policies more than local issues.'
West Devon Tories are due to select their prospective candidate later this month. Constituency association chairman Dr Joe Allen said: 'Ian will be a hard act to follow. His energy and enthusiasm transformed the morale of the association and he will be missed.'
Mr Liddell-Grainger, who is married with three children and lives at Bratton Clovelly, has at times been a flamboyant political character.
He made national headlines last year when he brandished a leg of lamb at the Tory Conference as a criticism of the government's agricultural policies.
He has had a high profile in the county as chairman of the Devon branch of the Countryside Alliance, a post he recently relinquished.
He fought the seat at the last election losing to Liberal Democrat John Burnett by just under 2,000 votes. Mr Burnett was recently selected by his party to defend the seat at the next election.
Also selected is UK Independence Party member Matthew Jackson who stood in West Devon last election and polled 1,841 votes.
The next general election must take place by the spring of 2002.