Conservative Party sources claim successors to MP Richard Ottaway’s job are lining up in case he should be ousted over his expenses claims.

The Croydon South MP faces a vote of no confidence later this month and senior sources within the party predict he will lose his position.

There is already a queue of aspiring politicians waiting in the wings to supplant him, the source claimed.

Mr Ottaway faces the Croydon South Conservative Federation executive on July 16, where they will discuss his controversial expenses.

Among them was £8,825 spent on maintaining the garden of his second home in Bletchingley, £59.99 on lightbulbs, £50 for repairing a tractor tyre and £48 modifying a scarifier – a device used to churn up soil.

Following that meeting he will then face the wrath of the federation’s members before holding a vote of confidence on his position.

Should he be voted out, a number of candidates are allegedly gearing themselves up to throw their hat into the ring.

It comes as Tony Newman, leader of the Labour opposition, has called for a public discussion over Mr Ottaway’s expenses at a cabinet meeting on July 13.

Mr Newman said: “The reputation of our town is clearly more important than any individual party loyalties, as we all as elected local representatives have, to some extent, been damaged by his actions.”

Mr Ottaway was cleared by the Conservative Party scrutiny panel, set up by Tory leader David Cameron, who said the MP did not need to pay back any of his expenses.

He had already paid back £4,050, which he claimed for household goods.

Mr Ottaway has refused to speak to the media despite constant attempts to contact him.

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