'We’ve been in utter stasis': Shropshire MPs' cautious welcome for election date
Shropshire's MPs breathed a sigh of relief that an election had finally been agreed – although some voiced concerns that it was not the ideal time of year go to the polls.
This will be the first December general election since 1923.
Owen Paterson, MP for North Shropshire, said the election was needed to break the Brexit deadlock, but admitted the situation was not ideal.
"I don't think anybody really wants an election in December, but at the moment we are completely stuck," he said.
"We've been in a state of complete and utter stasis, with nothing able to get through, so I think it's probably the right thing to do.
"It's all down to that wretched Fixed Term Parliaments Act, in the past the Government would have just been able to call a general election."
Mr Paterson said he expected Brexit to be a large part of what the election was about, but it would be wrong for any political party to try to dictate the terms the vote was fought on.
"I think it will be down to the public what the election will be about," he said.
"Experience shows that when politicians say the election is about a particular issue, it does not tend to work that way."
Daniel Kawczynski, MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham said the election was desperately needed.
"This is probably the most unrepresentative parliament I have ever known in my lifetime, it has completely gone against the wishes of the British people," he said.
Courteous
"This arrogance is shown by the way these remainers are repeatedly trying to thwart and block what the British people voted for."
Mr Kawczynski said as well as Brexit, he expected the Future Fit shake-up of the county's hospital services would also be a major issue.
He said that although there were clear differences of opinion between the different candidates, he hoped the election would be fought in a courteous and good-humoured manner.
"I hope it will be one in which we celebrate our differences," he said.
Mark Pritchard, MP for The Wrekin, said he was glad that Labour finally agreed to the poll.
"Labour finally ran out of excuses," he said.
"They were looking silly and churlish, and Jeremy Corbyn continuing to deny people Brexit and a general election was damaging the Labour Party locally and nationally."
Philip Dunne, MP for Ludlow, said he would preferred to have seen the Brexit withdrawal agreement passed before the election.
"In my view we should have spent the last week debating the withdrawal agreement," he said.
"Instead, the opposition parties voted down the programme, meaning we weren't allowed to get the withdrawal agreement through before the election."
