North Shropshire by-election: PM hopes levelling up agenda can help deliver victory
Boris Johnson said he hopes the delivery of his "stupendous" levelling up agenda will lead voters to back his candidate in the North Shropshire by-election.
The Prime Minister is gearing up for the crunch poll next month, which was called after Owen Paterson stood down after a lobbying scandal.
The Conservatives have selected Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst to contest the seat, with the former British Army Medical Officer tasked with defending the Tories near-23,000 majority.
Mr Johnson told the Star voters heading to the ballot box would be able to see the Government was "getting on with the job", citing the £96 billion Integrated Rail Plan as evidence.
Asked if he was confident that the public would see past the Owen Paterson sleaze scandal and vote for his candidate, Mr Johnson said: "I hope that everybody will vote for a government that is getting on with delivering massively on a stupendous scale with our agenda that is levelling up the entire country.
"As people can see with our transformational investment [in rail], we are getting on with the job."
Meanwhile Mr Johnson would not confirm when he would be visiting the constituency on the campaign trail, saying only: "I'm seldom far away from Shropshire."
Mr Johnson has admitted he "crashed the car" over his handling of the lobbying scandal, which saw him force Tory MPs to support a move to save Mr Paterson's political career before backtracking less than 24 hours later.
The by-election on December 16 is viewed as a crucial benchmark of the Government's standing two years into the PM's administration.
Six other candidates are standing.
The Lib Dems have selected chartered accountant Helen Morgan, from Harmer Hill, after the party's advances were turned down by former anti-sleaze MP Martin Bell.
She was third in the constituency in 2019 general election, receiving 10 per cent of the vote.
A total of 14 candidates are standing in next month's by-election. They are:
Suzie Akers Smith, Independent
Andrea Christabel Allen, UKIP
Boris Been Bunged, Rejoin EU
Martin Edward Daubney, The Reclaim Party
Russell Fraser Dean, The Party Party
James Alexander Elliot, Heritage Party
Howling Lord Hope, The Official Monster Raving Looney Party
Earl Elvis Phillipe Jesse, Freedom Alliance The Real Alternative
Yolande Ann Kenward, Independent
Duncan Alistair Kerr, Green Party
Helen Margaret Lillian Morgan, Liberal Democrats
Neil Shastri Hurst, The Conservative Party
Kirsty Rebecca Walmsley, Reform UK
Ben Wood, Labour
