The five issues that could determine how Shropshire and Mid Wales votes at the next General Election

Rishi Sunak said he expected a poll to be held 'in the second half of the year', scotching speculation – mainly coming from the opposition parties – that he could go for an election as early as May.

Mr Sunak doubtless hopes that playing a long game will give more time for a recovery in his party's fortunes, particularly if the economy improves and the cost of living crisis shows signs of abating.

At the previous three general elections, Shropshire and Mid Wales has voted overwhelmingly for the Conservatives, retaining all five Shropshire seats.

However, it hasn't always been this way, and Helen Morgan's shock by-election victory for the Liberal Democrats in North Shropshire just over a year ago shows that the Tories will have a real fight on their hands this time around.

But what will determine how the people of Shropshire and Mid Wales will vote this time around?

Here we look at some of the key battleground issues in the region, which could be crucial to determining the next government.

1. The economy

When asked about the key to electoral success, Bill Clinton famously replied "It's the economy, stupid", and people's economic wellbeing ­– and their perception of how it will change – is likely to be the biggest factor in determining how people will vote.

While Telford, with its vast swathes of business parks and easy transport connections, has seen considerable growth since its humble beginnings as Dawley New Town in the late 1960s, many of the more remote parts of the county have fared less well.

Wages in the county have lagged considerably behind the national average, and a lack of highly-paid work has sparked fears of a 'brain drain' to the big cities.

The real acid test, though, will be whether the cost of living, and energy prices in particular, can be brought under control.

2. Hospitals

Few issues have divided the county like the proposed Future Fit shake-up of hospital services, and a decade on, the issue is still far from resolved.

The £312 million modernisation plan would see Royal Shrewsbury Hospital become the focus for the county's 24-hour A&E services, with Telford's Princess Royal Hospital becoming a centre for planned care.

The scheme has been backed by clinicians in the county, who say it is important to bring A&E services under one roof. But it has enraged many living in Telford, who say they need their own emergency unit.

The proposals have led to a war of words between Daniel Kawczynski, Conservative MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham, and Councillor Shaun Davies, who will be fighting the Telford seat for Labour at the General Election.

Telford & Wrekin Council leader Councillor Davies, a vocal opponent of the scheme, is likely to put Future Fit at the centre of his campaign.

In an exclusive interview with the Shropshire Star, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said that, if elected, he would carry out a review of Future Fit to see if it represented value for money. But he declined to say whether a Labour government would make any extra funds available for updating Shropshire's hospitals, which will leave many wanting to know what he would do instead.

Mr Kawczynski has repeatedly expressed his frustration at the lack of progress in delivering the Future Fit scheme.

But, with an election looming, it might be in Mr Sunak's electoral interest to hang fire – and challenge Labour to expand on what it would do instead.

3. Development

While few would argue that there is an acute housing shortage in Britain, the controversy about plans for a 'garden village' at Tong, near Shifnal, has highlighted just how delicate a subject this can be.

Shropshire Council is now facing legal action from Bradford Estates over its objections to plans for 3,000 new homes on land around the historic village.

The row about the land in Tong is just one of countless controversies that have emerged as the council has sought to balance Government demands for more housing against the need to preserve green spaces.

The expansion of small towns such as Shifnal has also led to arguments about the need to increase public services such as schools and doctors' surgeries to meet the growing demand.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to tackle the housing crisis by building 'the next generation of new towns'. This could prove popular with younger people, who feel forced to leave the areas they grew up in to find somewhere to live.

But where he proposes to build these new towns could be crucial to how people living in grenbelt areas will decide to vote.

4. Transport

Transport has long been a contentious matter in the county, and probably never more so than at the moment, with controversy raging about the proposed £80 million Shrewsbury Northern Relief Road.

Work on the scheme, which will effectively complete a ring road around the town – is due to start next year, and be 'fully complete' by summer 2027.

The plans have sparked bitter opposition from environmentalists, though, with the Better Shrewsbury Transport group threatening legal action to stop the road going ahead.

The lack of bus services in rural areas, and general difficulty in accessing the south of the county in particular, is also likely to be a major bone of contention.

5. Fuel poverty

Rocketing fuel prices since the outbreak of war in Ukraine has hit the whole of the country, but in a rural county with an ageing population, the problem is particularly keenly felt.

Figures released last year showed that 18 per cent of households in Shropshire district, and 14.9 per cent in Telford and Wrekin, were officially classed as living in fuel poverty.

But Adam Scorer, chief executive of National Energy Action, said the time lag in compiling the statistics meant the figures would almost certainly be considerably worse than that.

The county suffers particularly badly due to the fact that many homes in the more remote parts of the county are 'off grid', without access to mains gas.

Voters in those areas will be paying close attention indeed to how political leaders propose to tackle this particular problem.