IT was first time lucky for Dr Daniel Poulter when he applied to be an MP - and now he is having to postpone his wedding in Suffolk which had been planned for next April.

Graham Dines

IT was first time lucky for Dr Daniel Poulter when he applied to be an MP - and now he is having to postpone his wedding in Suffolk which had been planned for next April.

Dr Poulter was chosen from 170 applicants and a final short-list of six to become the Conservative candidate for the safe seat of Central Suffolk and North Ipswich.

He joined the Tories' candidates' panel only last August and reached the final shortlist of Beckenham, where he works, and the Suffolk seat.

Central Suffolk and North Ipswich was the first to hold its selection meeting - and he won the day at the open primary meeting held at the Suffolk showground, Trinity Park.

Dr Poulter, who is a gynaecologist, was encouraged by his colleagues to try to become an MP when, as deputy leader of Reigate and Banstead council, he saved Epsom Hospital in Surrey from closure.

He now hopes to bring his expertise of health campaigning to those fighting to protect Ipswich as a major hospital. The parents of his fianc�e Joanna live in Great Finborough near Stowmarket and both have received care at the hospital.

“I know all about the decision to remove head and neck cancer services from Ipswich to Norwich and the proposal to remove acute cardiac care from Ipswich to Cambridge, Basildon and Norwich,” said Dr Poulter. “This salami slicing does not serve the interests of South East Suffolk and I will do all I can to ensure that Ipswich remains a top class hospital.”

He is also pledging to be first and foremost a constituency MP. “You have to serve the people who elect you and if that conflicts with your own government's policies, you have to make the decision to stand up for your own people.”

He and Joanna were due to be married next April, but now that he has been selected as the Central Suffolk and North Ipswich candidate, that is being postponed until after the election.

“I intend to relocate to Suffolk in January and we have already begun house hunting. I hope to get work as a locum and I shall be campaigning all over the constituency in readiness for the election campaign.”