With just 12 days to go before the by-election, called after Owen Paterson resigned amid allegations that he had used his parliamentary position to lobby for companies that paid him, Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey spoke to BBC Midlands Today yesterday from Oswestry.
We are getting a sense that it is very close between us and the Conservatives. We are clearly challenging them very hard and Helen Morgan, our candidate, is going on really well. We are focussing on the issues people really care about like ambulance waiting times. Frankly, people feel taken for granted by the Conservatives. So, we are really encouraged going into the last two weeks.
Interviewed by Shropshire’s county newspaper, the Shropshire Star. Ed said he said he “was finding real anger from voters on the doorstep over the Government.”
They feel that they have been taken for granted in what was considered a ‘safe seat’ and that the Government has become complacent.
Our canvassing is showing that this by-election is too close to call.
The people of North Shropshire have been taken for granted for too long, including the farmers, businesses and pensioners.
Helen Morgan added:
We are speaking to as many people as we can including those living in the hamlets that feel left out and forgotten.
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At a fundraising Lunch today for the Royal Welsh Agricultural society with members from Shropshire and Cheshire, the discussion swiftly turned to the by election. Usually they are staunch Tories but this time everyone is convinced that Helen is going to win. They may not switch to the Lib Dems but they are not going to vote for a candidate who has been parachuted in from Birmingham just because he wears a blue rosette.
Even an article in the Guardian, which is Labour-supporting and usually tries to ignore us, says “something unusual is happening in North Shropshire” and that the Lib Dems are the challengers. In the light of its political leanings it does soften that by mentioning that the “young and energetic” Labour candidate does not agree. They also confirm that Labour officials say they are not devoting many resources to this election.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/dec/06/people-are-fed-up-tories-anxious-about-losing-owen-patersons-seat