Former Government minister Michael Portillo is set to speak about life in the House of Commons during a visit to south Shropshire tomorrow.

Mr Portillo, who left the Commons two years ago, will appear at Ludlow Assembly Rooms at 7.30pm. Now a highly regarded documentary maker and television presenter, Mr Portillo will also speak about his part in the resignation of Margaret Thatcher.

His appearance is part of his An Audience With Michael Portillo tour.

He has previously said he enjoyed meeting people during his career in politics, and particularly enjoyed the questions and answer sessions which he described as “unpredictable” events.

Mr Portillo was born in North London in 1953. His father, Luis, had come to Britain as a refugee at the end of the Spanish Civil War, and his mother, Cora, was brought up in Fife. She met Luis while she was an undergraduate at Oxford.

His political career began in the Conservative Research Department in 1976, where he spent three years.

At the General Election in 1979 he was responsible for briefing Margaret Thatcher before her press conferences. For the next two years he was special adviser to the Secretary of State for Energy.

He worked for Kerr McGee Oil (UK) Ltd from 1981 to 1983. He contested the Birmingham Perry Bar seat at the 1983 Election.

Tickets cost £16 and a limited number of free tickets are available to people under 26. For further information call the box office on (01584) 878141.