Full list of confirmed North Shropshire by-election candidates is revealed
The battle lines have been drawn in the North Shropshire by-election with no less than 14 candidates throwing their names into the hat to become one of the county's MPs.
From the main parliamentary parties to a host of minor parties independents and even a Boris Johnson lookalike, the by-election has brought a massive interest from across the country.
The by-election was called after the resignation of Owen Paterson, who had been the constituency MP since 1997.
He resigned after a report by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards found that he had broken paid advocacy rules.
Shropshire Council announced the names on Friday afternoon. They are:
Suzie Akers Smith, Independent
Andrea Christabel Allen, UKIP
Boris Been Bunged, Rejoin EU
Martin Edward Daubney, The Reclaim Party
Russell Fraser Dean, The Party Party
James Alexander Elliot, Heritage Party
Howling Lord Hope, The Official Monster Raving Looney Party
Earl Elvis Phillipe Jesse, Freedom Alliance The Real Alternative
Yolande Ann Kenward, Independent
Duncan Alistair Kerr, Green Party
Helen Margaret Lillian Morgan, Liberal Democrats
Neil Shastri Hurst, The Conservative Party
Kirsty Rebecca Walmsley, Reform UK
Ben Wood, Labour
Big guns are already being wheeled out to back the main party candidates in the election – and it is likely more well known names in the world of politics will follow.
Tory joint chairman Oliver Dowden is due to visit this weekend while the Lib Dem leader, Ed Davey, has already visited two north Shropshire towns since the election was called.
It is not known whether the Prime Minister or the Labour leader intend to make an appearance. Both men have recently paid a visit just over the Welsh border – Boris Johsnson launching the Welsh Conservative election manifesto at Bangor-on-Dee racecourse in 2019 and Sir Keir Starmer at Kronospan, Chirk early this year.
Soon after the deadline for registering to stand as a prospective parliamentary candidate came at 4pm on Friday, Shropshire Council announced that 14 people had registered as candidates.
They will now have less than four weeks to campaign for votes before north Shropshire residents go to the polls on December 16.
