The Conservative Party has selected its first ever openly gay election candidate.

Westminster book publisher Iain Dale is to contest the marginal North Norfolk constituency.

Dale, whose books include "Memories of Maggie", is the first openly homosexual Tory to be selected by constituency activists.

He is close to senior Tories including Ann Widdecombe and Gillian Shephard.

North Norfolk is on the Conservative Party's list of key target seats. Lost by Tory David Prior at the last election, it has a Liberal Democrat majority of just 483.

If the Tories have any hopes of winning the next election the seat must return Dale to the House of Commons.

Dale, a smooth Westminster operator and political pundit, won the support of leading Tories including possible leadership contender David Davis.

He recently sold his Politicos publishing house but still retains his Victoria-based bookshop of the same name.

The decision to select an openly gay candidate is being seen as a victory for the modernising wing of the party.

If elected he will become the third Tory MP to admit to being gay.

Foreign affairs spokesman Alan Duncan came out following the 2001 general election.

Previously Michael Brown, the former MP for Cleethorpes turned political commentator, was forced to "come out" following tabloid revelations about his private life.