to be selected as a Conservative candidate in fourteen parliamentary constituencies and was shortlisted in Surrey Heath and Arundel and South Downs. She missed out, however, to Michael Gove and Nick Herbert respectively. With a group of other women Conservatives, Sandys signed a letter in support of David Cameron's election as Conservative Party leader which was printed in The Daily Telegraph in August 2005. Sandys nominated Christabel Flight in the May 2006 Westminster City Council elections. In 2006, Sandys was placed on the new 'A-list' of Conservative candidates ahead of the 2010 general election. In October 2006, she was selected to stand as the Conservative candidate for Thanet South, defeating Mark MacGregor, the party's previous candidate at the 2001 and 2005 elections. The constituency was then held by Stephen Ladyman for the Labour Party. She lives locally within the constituency in the town of Ramsgate with her husband, Randolph Kent, whom she married on 3 September 2007 in Ramsgate, Kent. An article in The Sunday Telegraph in October 2009 reported "Some high-profile women are already installed in winnable seats: Louise Bagshawe, Annunziata Rees-Mogg, Priti Patel, Laura Sandys and Joanne Cash will all make colourful additions to the Tory benches." In the 2010 General Election, Sandys gained the South Thanet seat from Stephen Ladyman with 48% of the popular vote. Sandys is a Vice-President of the Debating Group. In August 2014, Sandys announced that she would not be standing in the 2015 General election. She explained, "I have been considering my future in light of a wide range of family demands and have decided that I cannot combine the level of dedication and service needed for the constituency with my growing personal responsibilities to those closest and dearest to me." As Chair of the European Movement, Sandys played a role in campaigning to remain in the EU during the 2016 referendum on EU membership. After the result, she resigned as Chair of the Movement and was succeeded by Richard Corbett. On 30 April 2019, Sandys joined former Labour Party leader Ed Miliband and Caroline Lucas in calling for a Green New Deal in the UK. Sandys was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2020 New Year Honours for services to UK energy policy as chair of the Energy Data Taskforce. References External links Conservativehome.blogs Laura Sandys campaign website 1964 births Living people UK MPs 2010–2015