Two sudden defections and a Tory Party pearshaped calamity? The run up to the North Shropshire by-election.


Support us and go ad-free

A councillor and deputy mayor in North Shropshire has defected from the Conservatives 10 days before a by-election in the seat. Recent polling, however, suggests the Tory Party is still on track to win.

Related articles

Read on...

The post-Brexit ‘Brexit Party’

Mark Whittle, deputy mayor of Market Drayton, joined Reform UK in what he said was “the most difficult decision I have ever made”. Whittle said he joined the party, which was previously the Brexit Party, after meeting the Tory candidate in the race Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst. Whittle said:

As chairman of the Market Drayton Conservative Party and member of Shropshire Conservative executive, this is the most difficult decision I have ever made. Made only after a great deal of soul searching.

He said he could not “possibly back a candidate from Birmingham who has zero knowledge of North Shropshire and the challenges our community faces”.

Richard Tice, Reform UK’s leader, said:

I am delighted that Mark has joined us, he has a history of 30 years public service and is utterly committed to his town and North Shropshire.

It’s also reported that another Conservative concillor in North Shropshire – Anthony Allen – has defected to Laurence Fox’s Reclaim Party:

Reclaim and Reform are both right-wing parties which could create confusion given the similarity of their names:

The poll will be held on 16 December and was prompted following the resignation of former MP Owen Paterson. Paterson resigned after he was found to have breached lobbying rules and after the government U-turned in a bid to save him from immediate suspension.

We know everyone is suffering under the Tories - but the Canary is a vital weapon in our fight back, and we need your support

The Canary Workers’ Co-op knows life is hard. The Tories are waging a class war against us we’re all having to fight. But like trade unions and community organising, truly independent working-class media is a vital weapon in our armoury.

The Canary doesn’t have the budget of the corporate media. In fact, our income is over 1,000 times less than the Guardian’s. What we do have is a radical agenda that disrupts power and amplifies marginalised communities. But we can only do this with our readers’ support.

So please, help us continue to spread messages of resistance and hope. Even the smallest donation would mean the world to us.

Support us
  • Show Comments

    1. Two sudden defections and a Tory Party pearshaped calamity? The run up to the North Shropshire by-election.
      WELL VOTER do not ignore my post on a new party next G.E.
      //
      Could this be the start of a new Govt party made us of X members of other party that have fallen out with their party ways and the main two-party leaders in Govt trashing our country for no good reason.
      //
      Tory including Labour leader you may be sat at on other side on the opposite benchers looking on at a new Govt party Tory – Labour leaders you better get your Act together before next G.E. or kiss any chance of you winning the NEXT G.E. Boris -Starmer voter are sick of betrayal Broken promises bad and corrupted dodgy deals for personal gains by party M.P.-Minister -Prime Minister alike in the main two parties.
      Concluding
      Voter time for new Govt party plus new political ways of running our country for all the people that live here not for the rich private business people that fund the parties that live outside the U.K. AREAS now.
      The laws made by Govt running our country should benefit our needs not them that fund the party for election campaigns to benefit from big tax brakes and other dodgy deal struck for the private funding of any party from rich people outside the U.K. islands. Within the E.U. or NONE E.U. country that have very bad human rights problems as well.

      Report comment

    Leave a Reply

    Join the conversation

    Please read our comment moderation policy here.

Related articles