North Shropshire constituency will have new MP for first time since 1997

It is traditionally a safe Conservative seat but now for the first time since 1997, North Shropshire will have a new MP after Mr Paterson's resignation on Thursday.

He represented the constituency for 24 years, but now the position will be up for grabs following his decision while facing the prospect of being suspended after being found to have broken paid lobbying rules.

The seat is ordinarily one of the safest Conservative constituencies in the country with Mr Paterson, who was born in Whitchurch, having beaten Labour there in 2019 by nearly 23,000 votes.

As well as Whitchurch, North Shropshire includes the towns of Oswestry, Market Drayton, Ellesmere and Wem as well as large areas of countryside.

Mr Paterson was first elected as the Member of Parliament for North Shropshire during the Blair landslide victory at the 1997 general election with a majority of 2,195. He has increased his majority at each subsequent election, up to 22,949 in 2019.

He served on several committees, including the Welsh Affairs Committee (1997–2001), the European Standing Committee (1998–2001), and the Agriculture Committee (2000–01).

Mr Paterson was appointed to the shadow cabinet of David Cameron in 2007 as Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

Then, during the formation of the Coalition Government in 2010, he was appointed to the cabinet as Northern Ireland Secretary, where he remained until being moved to Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary in 2012 until 2014.

Prior to Mr Paterson gaining the North Shropshire seat in 1997, it had been served by John Biffin, who was a Conservative politician.

He was in office from November 9, 1961 to April, 8 1997 and was a member of the House of Lords until he died in 2007.

Mr Biffin was an MP for more than 35 years and served in Margaret Thatcher's cabinet.