Simon Baynes MP to fight North Shropshire at general election

* Simon Baynes MP celebrates his new candidature with Conservatives in North Shropshire (from his Facebook page).

Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes has been selected to fight the neighbouring seat of North Shropshire for the Conservatives at the next general election. 

Mr Baynes is hoping to move on as his present constituency, which he took from Labour’s Susan Elan Jones in 2019 with a majority of 1,239, will disappear under boundary changes before in time for the election. 

Over the weekend he was selected as candidate for North Shropshire, just across the border in England. 

The seat had been held for the Conservatives by Owen Paterson who left the House of Commons in November 2021 after being found by the standards authority to have broken rules on paid advocacy.

The episode threw Boris Johnson's government into turmoil, as the then-prime minister tried to overhaul the misconduct system to save his MP from suspension.

At the subsequent by-election North Shropshire was taken for the Liberal Democrats by Helen Morgan with a majority of 5,925, which indicated a swing of 34.2% away from the Conservatives.

Announcing his new candidature on his Facebook page, Mr Baynes said: “I am very honoured to have been selected as the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for North Shropshire given that, under the boundary changes, my Clwyd South constituency will cease to exist at the next general election.

“Having grown up on the Welsh borders at Lake Vyrnwy, been to school in Shrewsbury and through my work as the neighbouring MP, I know North Shropshire very well. 

“I will continue to represent Clwyd South as the MP and then look forward to being the Conservative candidate at the next general election for North Shropshire.”