Nick Timothy: Brexit role and views, who is West Suffolk constituency candidate - does he write for Telegraph?

The fight to become Matt Hancock's successor at the next general election will be contested by Theresa May's former Chief of Staff.

On Sunday night (30 July), Nick Timothy, a key adviser to the former prime minister, was announced as the Tory parliamentary candidate for the West Suffolk constituency.

Hancock, the former health secretary, had the Tory whip removed in November after he agreed to participate in the ITV reality series I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here!. He had been the Conservative MP for West Suffolk since 2010.

He now serves as the constituency's independent representative, but is due to stand down at the next general election.

But who exactly is Nick Timothy? What is his political experience, and what - if any - ties does he have to the West Suffolk area? Here is everything you need to know about him.

Who is Nick Timothy?

Nick Timothy is a British political adviser with a background in Conservative politics who has worked for several prominent figures within the Conservative Party.

He was a special adviser to Theresa May during her tenure as Home Secretary, and later became one of her closest aides when she became Prime Minister, serving as Joint Downing Street Chief of Staff between July 2016 and June 2017.

Timothy played a significant role in May's government, particularly during his time as Chief of Staff, and was known for his influence on her policies and decisions, including on issues such as Brexit, immigration and social reform.

A known Eurosceptic, Timothy and played a significant role in shaping the Conservative Party's stance on the EU referendum during his time as a political adviser. He supported the Brexit campaign, believing that leaving the EU would allow the UK to regain control of its laws, borders and trade policies.

During the 2017 General Election campaign, the Conservative Party proposed changes to social care policy that came to be known as the "dementia tax." The policy was met with significant public backlash and was seen as potentially imposing substantial financial burdens on elderly people requiring long-term care.

Timothy was reportedly one of the key architects of the policy, and its unpopularity was seen as contributing to the Conservative Party's diminished electoral performance. He resigned as joint Chief of Staff in Downing Street.

What are his views?

Timothy has previously expressed concerns about high levels of immigration in the UK, and has advocated for stronger integration measures to ensure newcomers to the country adapt to British values and norms, a stance which has drawn both support and criticism.

He is also known for his conservative economic views, advocating for policies that prioritise national sovereignty, traditional values and a cautious approach to economic globalisation.

These views have resonated with some sections of the Conservative Party's base but have also faced opposition from those advocating for more liberal economic policies.

Does he write for The Telegraph?

Since leaving Downing Street in 2017, Timothy has worked as a regular columnist for The Telegraph newspaper, his articles often focusing on political analysis, policy matters and conservative viewpoints.

In 2018, he was accused of antisemitism following the publication of a Telegraph article of which he was the principal author that claimed the existence of a "secret plot" to stop Brexit by the Jewish philanthropist George Soros.

The article propagated a conspiracy theory that suggested Soros was orchestrating a secretive and malevolent effort to undermine the democratic will of the British people expressed through the Brexit referendum.

Critics argued that the article's language and tone contained subtle antisemitic tropes, such as portraying Soros as a powerful and shadowy figure covertly controlling politics, and provided little concrete evidence to support its claims, leading many to view it as baseless and inflammatory.

Timothy defended himself against the antisemitism accusations, tweeting: "Throughout my career I’ve campaigned against antisemitism, helped secure more funding for security at synagogues and Jewish schools."

Does Timothy have links to West Suffolk?

Though born in Birmingham and raised in the West Midlands, Timothy is believed to have strong family ties to the West Suffolk constituency - which covers a significant portion of Suffolk, including towns such as Bury St Edmunds and Newmarket - which Hancock held in 2019 with a 23,000-vote majority.

Local Conservative councillor Lance Stanbury welcomed the selection of Timothy, who remains a prominent voice in Westminster circles and in the media. “Delighted, absolutely delighted that Nick has been selected to fight for West Suffolk,” he told the PA news agency.

“He gave an excellent presentation today and is clearly all over the policy and understands all the issues for West Suffolk and I think will make a great candidate.”

Another local Conservative, who did want to give their name, told PA that the association “do not want a career politician”. They said that Timothy “has a good focus on the area, a lot of his family live here and he knows the area well”.