Mr BORIS Johnson, editor of the right-wing Spectator magazine, said yesterday he was "thrilled" to be the new parliamentary candidate for the safe Conservative seat of Henley.
Party activists picked Mr Johnson on Thursday night to replace the former deputy prime minister, Mr Michael Heseltine (67), who will stand down at the next election.
"He's been one of the huge men of British politics in the 20th century. He's going to be an amazingly difficult act to follow," Mr Johnson told BBC radio about his predecessor.
Mr Heseltine has represented Henley since 1974.
Mr Johnson (36) will be a suitably high-profile successor to Mr Heseltine. He took over at the Spectator after writing as a columnist for the Daily Telegraph and is a seasoned radio broadcaster.
Mr Heseltine, a self-made millionaire, was best known for his clashes with the former prime minister, Baroness Thatcher.
While Mr Heseltine is a prominent Tory europhile and campaigner for British entry in the euro currency, Mr Johnson is an arch eurosceptic.
But in spite of their differences, Mr Heseltine was vehement in his support of Mr Johnson, an alumnus of Eton College and Oxford University.
"We're like two peas in a pod," Mr Heseltine told BBC radio.
"I think he will be a very good MP. He's a very able and colourful character."