Tories in the constituency of deselected MP Howard Flight will tonight choose a replacement parliamentary candidate.

Up to 2,000 association members will meet in a hotel near Arundel to pick their representative to fight for the Arundel and South Downs seat at the General Election.

Members of Arundel and South Downs Conservative Association will be asked to vote on three names chosen by their organisation's executive council.

Anne Marie Morris, Laura Sandys and Nick Herbert were chosen on Monday night by the executive, which was given a shortlist of nine names approved by Conservative Central Office.

Mr Flight was deselected by party leader Michael Howard after making a dinner speech that implied the Tories were secretly planning to make cuts in public services.

The executive committee whittled down the contenders from a starting list of ten.

Many members of the association have called Mr Howard's action draconian.

A petition signed by 111 members calling for a special general meeting to reconsider the ousted MP as their candidate was presented to senior officials.

Four members walked out when it was dismissed at a meeting on Monday.

Most of the association's members want to draw a line under the affair and start preparing for the forthcoming May 5 election.

Tonight's meeting, which will only be open to association members, will take place at the Avisford Park Hilton at 7pm.

As a member of the local Conservative Party, Mr Flight is eligible to attend.