Brighton Pavilion Conservatives pick former BBC reporter to take on Caroline Lucas

The Conservative Party has chosen former BBC reporter Clarence Mitchell as its candidate for Brighton Pavilion this evening (Thursday 25 July).

Mr Mitchell, who has acted as the spokesman for the family of missing Madeleine McCann for six years, will take on Britain’s first Green MP Caroline Lucas at the next general election.

The election is expected to be held in May 2015.

Clarence Mitchell

Mr Mitchell joined the public affairs consultancy Burson-Marsteller UK as a managing director two years ago.

His previous jobs include being the director of the government’s Media Monitoring Unit and before that he spent 20 years at the BBC.

He worked as a royal correspondent, political reporter and presenter while at the corporation, having trained as a reporter at the Westminster Press Training Centre in Hastings.

Mr Mitchell’s most high-profile role has been to represent Kate and Gerry McCann after their daughter disappeared during a holiday in Portugal.

He has previously worked with the Conservative Party briefly and this evening he beat two other candidates to win the selection.