Michael Portillo talks Brexit and becoming a national treasure on Shropshire visit

And while Michael Portillo no longer has any political aspirations, he is keen to keep his hand in and have his say on Brexit, Theresa May and the new President of the United States Donald Trump.

Prior to going on stage for his sell-out show Michael Portillo Life: A Game of Two Halves, at Shrewsbury's Theatre Severn, the 63-year-old took the time to speak to the Shropshire Star.

It was not his first visit to Shrewsbury – he has appeared at the theatre before and passed through as part of his Great British Railway Journeys series and he was in Ludlow on Saturday night with the same show.

On the topic of Brexit Mr Portillo, dressed in a flamboyant chequered red jacket, feels that a hard Brexit is needed. He said a severing of ties with the EU and the customs union would lead to increased prosperity for the UK.

And he is complimentary about the way that Theresa May has conducted herself since taking over the reins of the Conservative Party. "I think Theresa May has made it clear that it will take a clean break," he said.

"We want to control our borders. Control of borders is something that many of the European states look to.

"We have elections coming up in France and Germany and we will have to await the outcomes of those. She has already done two very important things. The first was the vote over Article 50 and the second was to make the speech she did in recent days. I hope she will be encouraged to go on being decisive."

Asked about the relationship Britain can expect with the United States, the Hertfordshire-born former deputy Conservative party leader and defence secretary said: "There is a long standing relationship between the US and the UK and there should be some sort of trade deal.

"Although I am puzzled because Trump talks about protection and his position is not clear. Trump is hugely unpredictable."

Mr Portillo added that he no longer sought the political spotlight and just wished to be a "national treasure – like Ed Balls" and was more than happy with his lot as a presenter of his BBC Two show Great British Railway Journeys which has run for a total of eight series to date.

The series features him travelling by train in Great Britain and Ireland armed with an 1840s copy of Bradshaw's Guide, comparing how the various destinations have changed since Victorian times.

He has gone on to present two related series, Great Continental Railway Journeys from 2012, and Great American Railroad Journeys which began in 2016.

"I remember steam trains and while I like trains, I love history," he said. "And that is what my show is about. It is about the history of the railways and telling people stories from history."