North Shropshire by-election date confirmed as candidates line up to replace Owen Paterson
The North Shropshire by-election will be held next month, Shropshire Council has confirmed.
The authority has received the parliamentary writ declaring the contest to replace former Conservative MP Owen Paterson.
Mr Paterson resigned last week while facing the prospect of being suspended from the House of Commons for breaking paid lobbying rules.
The by-election will take place on December 16, with the deadline for candidate nominations being November 18.
A spokesman for Shropshire Council said: “The deadline for candidates to submit nominations for the by-election is at 4pm Thursday, November 18.
“Poll cards and postal ballots will start to be issued to registered eligible electors from week commencing November 22 and this will take a number of days to complete.”
Candidates for the by-election are starting to emerge.
Reform UK launched its campaign in Oswestry this week for candidate Kirsty Walmsley, a former Conservative Shropshire councillor and the daughter of former council leader Keith Barrow.
Labour will select its candidate this weekend.
Currently three party members have put their names forward for selection: former North Shropshire candidate Graeme Currie; former Telford & Wrekin Council leader Kuldip Sahota; and former Shropshire and Herefordshire MEP David Hallam.
The Liberal Democrats are expected to have selected their candidate next week while North Shropshire Conservatives will choose their candidate at a meeting of the association on Saturday.
