North Shropshire: Conservative Owen Paterson holds seat

MP for the past 18 years, Mr Paterson took 27,041 votes in the seat which declared shortly before 4am in Whitchurch.

Labour's Graeme Currie narrowly beat Ukip's Andrea Allen into second place, while Tom Thornhill, representing the Liberal Democrats, came fourth and the Green Party's Duncan Kerr came fifth.

Mr Currie received 10,547 of the votes, Ms Allen 9,262, Mr Thornhill 3,148 and Mr Kerr 2,575.

Candidates for 2015:

• OWEN PATERSON (Conservative) 27,031

• Andrea Christabel Allen (Ukip) 9,262

• Graeme Roger Currie (Labour) 10,547

• Duncan Kerr (Green Party) 2,575

• Tom Thornhill (Liberal Democrats) 3,148

• Turnout 66.84 per cent

Results from 2010:

• OWEN PATERSON (Con) 26,692

• Ian Croll (Lib Dem) 10,864

• Ian McLaughlan (Lab) 9,406

• Sandra List (Ukip) 2,432

• Phil Reddall (BNP) 1,667

• Steve Boulding (Green) 808

• Conservative majority 15,828

• Turnout 65.7 per cent[/breakout]

A large cheer greeted the result from members of the Conservative Party who were present at the count, which included Shropshire Council leader Keith Barrow.

Mr Paterson, who received 26,692 votes last time around, said he was delighted to carry on representing North Shropshire and promised that he would continue to represent everyone in his constituency.

"It is a great honour to be re-elected in the town where I was born and the area I have always lived," he said.

"I am particularly pleased to have won with an increased majority.

"I want to thank the more than half who voted for me and to the less than half than didn't I will continue to represent them like I have done in the four previous parliaments."

He added: "I will continue to prioritise mobile phone coverage, broadband, road and rail. I will also continue to work with local businesses."

On the national picture he said he hoped to see a Conservative government make further progress on the economy and unemployment.

He also thanked the other candidates for a "fair" election fight.

Mr Thornhill said he was "fairly pleased" with the result.

"I achieved my two main aims which were beating the Greens and getting my deposit back.

"I was pleased I got my Liberal message out there," he added.

Mr Currie said: "I'm not going to pretend I'm not disappointed.

"I want to thank my wife and all of the party officers.

"We have done our best and we will be back."

Ms Allen said: "I am delighted. We came fourth last time and third this time, and wasn't that far off finishing second."

Mr Kerr said: "We will be around for some time to come."

It was a fairly large turnout in the North Shropshire constituency. There was a total of 52,693 votes cast, which represented 66.84 per cent of people who were registered to vote.

Wind turbines, gas drilling and solar farms were among the topics that had dominated pre-election debates in North Shropshire.

Drilling for gas has become a hot topic among politicians who have to balance the benefits of energy creation against environmental risks.

And for North Shropshire, the issue has landed right on the doorstep. Plans were submitted by Dart Energy last year to operate an exploratory borehole for coal bed methane extraction in Dudleston near Ellesmere.

Drilling for coal bed methane does not use high powered jets of water to extract gas like its controversial counterpart fracking, but both are believed by campaigners to pose environmental risks.

The plans for Dudleston were fought against by hundreds of people and Shropshire Council said it would have rejected the idea had the decision not been taken out of its hands.

Instead, a government planning inspector will decide whether or not the scheme can go ahead.

During the last few weeks candidates have been asked how their parties would look at alternative options to produce renewable energy other than wind farms, which many believe are inefficient.

Mr Paterson said there was "potential" in tidal and hydro power, but branded wind energy a "scam" and said there was not enough efficiency in solar energy.

Mr Kerr said that as a country we have not yet explored all the options including combined heat and power, hydro and solar.

Mr Thornhill said that money would be spent on research across renewable energy to find the right technology.

Ms Allen said that under her party communities would be considered, while Mr Currie said it was all about getting the balance right. Other issues raised by constituents have included whether teenagers should be given the right to vote, and improving roads, education and healthcare.

Whitchurch-born Mr Paterson has held the seat since 1997, when he inherited the Conservative candidacy from long-time constituency MP John Biffen.

He has risen within the party ranks to hold key positions including Northern Ireland Secretary, before taking over as Environment Secretary. That came to a dramatic end when he was moved out of the cabinet in the last reshuffle. Mr Currie, from Bagley, near Ellesmere, moved to the county in 2003 and runs a social work company.

Mr Kerr, who is the second person to contest the seat on behalf of the Green Party, is already a town councillor in Oswestry.

Mr Thornhill, who lives with his parents just outside Whitchurch, where he grew up, joined the Liberal Democrats shortly after 2010, before he became a student. He is now chairman of the University of Birmingham Liberal Democrats.

Ukip's Ms Allen is a Whitchurch rural parish councillor for the Tilstock ward.