Monaco-based 'anti-sleaze' candidate to stand in North Shropshire by-election
A former Shropshire student now living in Monaco has thrown his hat into the ring in the North Shropshire by-election.
Russell Dean, a consultant for a yacht broker, says if he were to become the MP to succeed Owen Paterson he would relocate back to the UK and devote his time to serving the constituency.
The by-election is being held on December 16 after Mr Paterson resigned last week while facing suspension for breaking paid lobbying rules.
The 55-year-old, who was a pupil at Wrekin College in Wellington, said he would be standing for 'The Party Party' on a platform of anti-sleaze and corruption.
He said the name of the party, which he registered with the Electoral Commission in 2013, was not intended to be frivolous.
"It was set up with the idea of attracting young people into politics and encouraging them to engage.
"They and many others are very disillusioned with the political world," he said.
"I have already secured the required 10 nominations from registered voters within the constituency to enable me to stand and I anticipate opening an office for The Party Party in Oswestry as soon as election date is announced."
Mr Dean was a chartered surveyor before moving to Monaco to live and work 15 years ago.
"However, I would return to the UK if elected to serve the constituency," he said. "Two of our children are now in the UK.
"I have long held the belief that politics needs to be cleaned up and recent developments have shown this."
Mr Dean was brought up in Eccleston, Chester and while a student at Wrekin College regularly travelled through north Shropshire.
"I know the area and this seems a great opportunity to present a slightly different perspective to the electorate.
"People have had a desperately miserable experience throughout the Covid pandemic and they are also having to deal with a real nastiness in politics.
"The Party Party would be more centralist, calling for an end to racism and bigotry and stamping this out through education. If you were to ask me for a word that annoys me it would be ignorance.
"Politics has become polarised and divisive and I want to change that from the inside. We must get away from nasty politics - we are one nation. We don't need to be rude to be each other."
Mr Dean has a wife, Dawn, and three children. He said his outside interests included taking up triathlons.
Meanwhile Labour will select its candidate to contest the North Shropshire by-election this weekend.
Currently there are three party members who have put their names forward for selection: former North Shropshire candidate Graeme Currie; former Telford & Wrekin Council leader Kuldip Sahota; and former Shropshire and Herefordshire MEP David Hallam.
North Shropshire Conservatives will choose their candidate at a meeting of the association on Saturday, while the Liberal Democrats are expected to have selected their candidate next week.
Reform UK became the first party to launch its by-election campaign on Tuesday.
Kirsty Walmsley, who lives in Wem, said local people deserved an independent champion.
"In all honesty my experience of both local and national Government left me cynical about the world of politics. The reason I have put myself forward to stand as a candidate is because I believe the people of North Shropshire deserve an independent champion who truly knows and cares about the area," she said.
