He might have once been told to ‘get out more’ due to his loyalty to the area – but North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson believes this is one of the key ingredients to his success in the constituency.
Last Friday, when voters were waking up to news of a hung parliament in one of the closest election fights in decades, a local battle had just been sealed in the Conservative 
heartlands of North Shropshire for a fourth successive time.
Despite the rural constituency being the last to declare in Shropshire, which might have given hope to Labour and Lib Dem supporters, the emphatic victory for Owen Paterson was confirmed with an unprecedented 51.3 per cent of the votes in what has become one of the Tories’ safest seats.
An impressive turnout of 65 per cent had coincided with the supposed new era of politics after the televised leaders’ debates – but even with admirable pressure from Labour candidate Ian McLaughlan and Liberal Democrat Ian Croll, the born and bred Whitchurch man romped home with 26,692 votes.
And he ranks this vote of confidence, which he has now received four times from constituents since 1997, as his biggest overall achievement and a good indicator that his work is appreciated by the electorate he serves.
After his 2005 election victory a supporter posted a tongue-in-cheek comment on his website saying Owen ought to ‘get out more’ – in reference to the fact he has never lived further than 15 miles from his home town of Whitchurch in the centre in the constituency.
He said: “I was really pleased to be re-elected and I am now determined to carry on the long running campaigns I have been involved with over the years.
“I think it definitely gives you an extra emphasis as MP if you were born in the area – it’s a really important factor because you know the constituency and community already.”
Among his most impressive achievements has been securing an improved electricity deal for the Waymills Industrial Estate in Whitchurch to allow for expansion, health efforts, the A5 road campaign and improved train services to north-west Shropshire.
Thanked
“One lady stopped her car in Whittington recently and thanked me for helping her with a delay in getting a back operation, and it’s these local issues that I want to continue to deal with.
“Despite the work I have done over in Northern Ireland I am based completely locally and my main emphasis has always been – and will always be – to fight for local issues.”
Asked about the battle to form a stable government in the light of the hung parliament, Owen said the right decision had been made to lay down an agreement and form a coalition with the Liberal Democrats, as a minority government would find it too difficult to pass key legislation.
“I am very pleased that after the uncertainty of the last few days we now have a stable government with a large parliamentary majority, and one that can begin to address the grotesque problems left behind by the Labour Government.
“It will now take a long concerted programme of policies, including the support of both parties’ MPs, to put the country back on the right track following the enormous debt burdened on this country,” he added.
By David Seadon