ANNE McIntosh may not stand as the Conservative candidate for the Ryedale area at the next general election after the party’s executive committee voted not to automatically reselect her.

Thirsk and Malton chairman Peter Steveney said: “Following a meeting of the Conservative executive council, the decision was taken not to automatically reselect Anne McIntosh as the prospective parliamentary candidate for Thirsk and Malton.”

The committee now has the choice of running a selection panel meeting with a choice of possible candidates including Ms McIntosh or put forward a postal ballot.

Ms McIntosh was elected to the new Constituency of Thirsk, Malton and Filey after a delayed election in May 2010. She had previously been the Member of Parliament for the Vale of York since 1997.

She was elected chairman of the environment, food and rural affairs select committee and also as the chairman of the all party groups on Denmark, South Africa, floods, water and environmental quality.

A spokesman for the Conservative Party said: “Every constituency has an executive chairman and executive panel who are responsible for candidate selection and all MPs have to be reselected by their association.”

Ms McIntosh, previously the member for the former Vale of York constituency, won the newly-created Thirsk and Malton seat, which includes Ryedale, a division held for 23 years by fellow Conservative John Greenway.

Ms McIntosh was selected by the Tories to fight the seat ahead of former policeman Mr Greenway, who retired from politics after failing to get the nomination from his party to stand.

She secured a majority of more than 11,000 when the delayed General Election poll in the new division was held in May 2010.

It was only the eighth time in nearly a century that a poll had had to be postponed, after the UKIP candidate, John Boakes, died suddenly.

Ms McIntosh has been a Westminster MP for 15 years and was previously an MEP for Essex.

The Gazette & Herald tried to contact Ms McIntosh but she had not responded before we went to press.