A direct descendant of Joseph Chamberlain is in the running to the be the next MP for Birmingham Edgbaston.
Caroline Squire, his great, great grand-daughter, has been chosen as the Conservative candidate for Birmingham Edgbaston, a marginal seat in the 2017 general election which the Tories hope to win.
Joseph Chamberlain was mayor of Birmingham in the 1870s, credited with clearing slums and building libraries, schools and swimming pools. He is still cited as an influence by politicians today and Prime Minister Theresa May's Chief of Staff, Nick Timothy, wrote a book about him.
Conservative activists chose between Ms Squire and two other possible candidates. They were Luke Evans, a GP who stood for the Tories in Edgbaston in 2015, and Reena Ranger, a councillor in Hertfordshire who is chair of Women Empowered, a social initiative engaging and encouraging women to make the most of their skills.
Ms Squire wrote about Joseph Chamberlain's influence in an article for Conservative Home in 2016. She said: "Joe was a late Victorian industrialist; a modernising Liberal Mayor of Birmingham turned MP; later a coalition Cabinet Minister – and political statesman of his day. He was a champion of democracy, a pioneer of social reform, an orchid lover…and my great-great-grandfather."
Her great-grandfather was Austen Chamberlain, the MP for Birmingham West who served as Chancellor and Foreign Secretary.
Neville Chamberlain, who was Prime Minister, Mayor of Birmingham and MP for Edgabaston, was Caroline’s great-great uncle.
Ms Squire is a self-employed communications and public affairs consultant and previously worked for Sainsbury’s and in the House of Lords.
She said: “I have a strong family legacy in Birmingham and I am honoured to be chosen as the Conservative candidate for Edgbaston as my great-great uncle was many years ago.
“A special thank you goes to local party members in Birmingham Edgbaston for choosing me as their candidate on Friday evening.
“If elected on June 8 I will work around the clock for all residents in the constituency and ensure their concerns and aspirations are heard at the highest tiers of Government."
Edgbaston has been represented by a female MP - including Conservative and Labour politicians - since 1953.
It was once seen as a safe Conservative constituency and Labour MP Gisela Stuart's win for Labour in 1997 came as a surprise. However, Tory attempts to take the seat back have failed, and in 2015 the Conservatives chose to focus on Birmingham Northfield instead.
This time, however, Tories believe they may have a better chance in Edgbaston because opinion polls suggest Labour's support has fallen significantly. They may also be helped by the fact that Mrs Stuart is standing down.
Labour has announced it has selected Sandwell councillor Preet Gill to stand in the seat.
Conservatives have also chosen a candidate for Birmingham Northfield - another marginal seat in Birmingham.
Meg Powell-Chandler, who works for charity Crisis, will stand in the Northfield seat.
She is a former adviser to David Cameron, when he was Prime Minister, and to Greg Clarke, the Business Secretary and former Local Government Secretary.
Labour won Edgbaston in 2015 with a majority of 2,706, and won Northfield with a majority of 2,509. Conservatives came second in both seats.
It means there is likely to be a fierce battle over both constituencies this time, as they could go either way in the election on June 8.
