Shrewsbury MP Daniel Kawczynski re-selected by Tories to stand at next general election
Shrewsbury & Atcham's Conservative MP Daniel Kawczynski has been re-selected to contest the seat at the next general election.
Mr Kawczynski, who was first elected in 2005 and has won the seat on a total of five occasions, was re-selected at a meeting Shrewsbury & Atcham Conservatives on Thursday evening.
He said he was "proud and honoured to be given the opportunity to stand again".
Mr Kawczynski pointed to the fact that he had increased his share of the vote at every general election since first standing.
He added that he was proud of his record as the constituency's MP, and was looking forward to contesting the seat when the general election takes place.
Mr Kawczynski said: "We are looking forward to a very strong robust debate with the Labour Party on local issues and none more so than the fact Shrewsbury Labour Party refuses to accept and support the £312m I have secured for the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital – there is no more important issue for the constituency than the modernisation of Shrewsbury's hospital, and rather than support Shrewsbury they seem more interested in supporting their colleagues in Telford."
Sitting Conservative MPs are re-selected by the vote of a committee in their association.
Sources said Thursday's meeting had been "heated", with "strong opinions expressed".
It is understood that during the discussion one member read out controversial entries on Mr Kawczynski's Wikipedia page, including being found to have bullied a member of parliamentary staff by a House of Commons standards investigation.
The Liberal Democrats have already selected their candidate to contest the seat, Alex Wagner, Shropshire councillor for the Bowbrook ward.
The Labour Party is scheduled to start its candidate selection in the next few months.
At the last general election the current Labour Shropshire Council leader Julia Buckley, a Bridgnorth councillor, contested the seat for the party.
She was a short-notice replacement for Dr Laura Davies, who was deselected by the Shrewsbury & Atcham Constituency Labour Party just 37 days before the 2019 general election took place.
