North Shropshire by-election: PM faces big test as voters go to the polls
Voters are today heading to the polls for a by-election billed as a major test of Boris Johnson’s flagging administration.
The Conservatives are desperately trying to hold on to the North Shropshire seat vacated by Owen Paterson, who resigned last month after a lobbying scandal.
And many are predicting a tight contest, with the poll coming against a backdrop of sleaze, alleged Downing Street lockdown breaches and an enormous backbench rebellion over Covid rules.
The chaos surrounding Mr Johnson’s premiership has placed the North Shropshire by-election firmly in the national spotlight, with many seeing the result as being too close to call. Tory candidate Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst is defending a huge majority of almost 23,000 in a seat which has always been blue and that Mr Paterson held since 1997.
He faces a major challenge from bookies’ favourites the Lib Dems, who have claimed their candidate Helen Morgan is “within a whisker” of landing an historic victory for Ed Davey’s party.
Meanwhile, Labour remains bullish about the chances of Ben Wood, despite Sir Keir Starmer choosing not to visit the constituency amid claims his party has stood aside so as not to split the anti-Tory vote.
Also fancying their chances of making a mark are no fewer than 11 other candidates, including the Greens, a Boris Johnson impersonator, and the rebranded Brexit Party, now called Reform UK.
The candidates are:
Suzie Akers Smith, Independent
Andrea Allen, Ukip
Boris Been-Bunged, Rejoin EU
Martin Daubney, The Reclaim Party
Russell Dean, The Party Party
James Elliot, Heritage Party
Howling Laud Hope, The Official Monster Raving Loony Party
Earl Jesse, Freedom Alliance The Real Alternative
Yolande Kenward, Independent
Duncan Kerr, Green Party
Helen Morgan, Liberal Democrats
Neil Shastri-Hurst, Conservative
Kirsty Walmsley, Reform UK
Ben Wood, Labour
Candidates have been campaigning hard across the constituency in recent weeks, with Dr Shastri-Hurst joined by the likes of the Prime Minister, Grant Shapps and Michael Gove, while Lib Dem leader Sir Ed has appeared several times.
Labour has been represented by party chair Anneliese Dodds and deputy leader Angela Rayner.
Last night, polling suggested the turnout may fall below 40 per cent.
The by-election comes following a disastrous few weeks for Mr Johnson’s administration, which has seen the Conservatives plunge to their worst position in the polls under his leadership.
A probe is under way over allegations of parties and gatherings held in Downing Street and elsewhere during lockdown restrictions, while anger remains over the Government’s handling of the standards row which led to Mr Paterson’s resignation.
The North Shropshire poll is the second key by-election this month, after the Tories held onto Old Bexley and Sidcup with a greatly reduced majority.
You can follow the election voting, count and results live, from Thursday morning until the early hours of Friday, from our reporting team in North Shropshire.
