Lib Dem leader visits Shropshire as by-election campaigning begins
The Liberal Democrat leader has claimed his party is the leading challenger for the vacant seat of North Shropshire as he visited the constituency to support the campaign.
Sir Ed Davey visited Whitchurch on Sunday, becoming the first party leader to arrive in the area since Owen Paterson resignation prompted a by-election.
Mr Paterson stood down after 24 years last week after losing the Government's backing over his potential suspension for breaking paid lobbying rules.
The date for the upcoming by-election has not yet been set but campaigning has already begun and one candidate, for Reform UK, has been confirmed.
In a rally with local Liberal Democrat supporters in Whitchurch, Lib Dem leader Sir Ed claimed his party was the only one that could challenge the Conservatives in what is traditionally an ultra-safe Tory seat.
The Lib Dems are the largest opposition party on Shropshire Council with 14 seats after they, Labour and the Greens made gains at this year's local elections. However they only hold 14 out of 74 wards and their electoral success has largely been in the south of the county and Shrewsbury.
At the 2019 General Election Lib Dem candidate for North Shropshire Helen Morgan finished third with ten per cent of the vote - half that of Labour's Graeme Currie and one sixth of Mr Paterson.
The opposition vote is likely to split again at the upcoming by-election after the parties pledged to stand individual candidates instead of rallying around one anti-sleaze option.
None of the major parties have yet announced who their candidates will be with Reform's Kirsty Walmsley - a former Tory councillor and daughter of ex-leader Keith Barrow - the only confirmed contender.
However the Lib Dems are hopeful after overturning a 16,000 Conservative majority in the Cheshire and Amersham by-election earlier this year.
Mr Davey said: “It is clear that the Liberal Democrats are the challengers to the Conservatives in North Shropshire. Labour and the Greens cannot win.
“For too long, the Conservatives have left North Shropshire lagging behind with the local NHS facing real difficulties. A Liberal Democrat by-election victory would send a powerful message to the Conservatives that the people of North Shropshire need to be listened to.”
Former candidate Ms Morgan said: “Sir Ed’s visit is a real boost to our local campaign and shows just how seriously the Liberal Democrats will be taking this election.
“Speaking regularly to local people, we know just how frustrated they are that they are not being listened to by the Conservative Government. People are very frustrated that Shropshire continues to be left behind with our NHS struggling to cope and real difficulties getting an appointment with a GP.
“In May, we proved that the local Liberal Democrats are the challengers to the Conservatives and we are looking forward to welcoming Sir Ed back to North Shropshire to support our campaign for local people.”
Meanwhile Boris Johnson is facing calls for a public inquiry into allegations of Tory sleaze as MPs consider how to clean up Westminster following the row over Mr Paterson's case.
The Commons will spend three hours hearing an emergency debate on the situation, despite ministers seeking to dismiss the row as a “storm in a teacup”.
The Lib Dems secured the debate and have called for a statutory public inquiry into sleaze and corruption allegations.
