North Shropshire by-election odds: Lib Dems could take former Tory stronghold

Betting odds & political analysis for the North Shropshire by-election, which is scheduled to take place on Thursday, December 16.

North Shropshire by-election odds

North Shropshire has been considered a Conservative stronghold since its revival in 1983 but the odds suggest that the constituency will swing in favour of the Liberal Democrats at the upcoming by-election.

Previous North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson resigned in November after he was found to have breached paid advocacy rules in relation to two companies which employed him as a paid consultant.

Paterson had claimed a huge 62.7 per cent of the vote at the 2019 General Election but current Tory candidate Neil Shastri-Hurst looks on course for a much less resounding endorsement if he retains the seat when the by-election is contested on December 16.

The Conservatives were as short as 1-6 to hold North Shropshire as recently as November 26 but bookmakers have reported sustained support for Lib Dem candidate Helen Morgan, who is now no bigger than 8-15 to gain the seat having been odds-against a week ago.

The Tories are out to 6-4 to hold North Shropshire while Labour's Ben Wood is the 66-1 outsider of the three main parties despite Labour claims that they are closing the gap.

Some of the recent support for the Lib Dems can be attributed to the nationwide outcry over the the reported Downing Street Christmas party. On a local level, Morgan has focused her campaign on the anger over ambulance station closures in the constituency.

This would not be the first by-election gain of 2021 for the Lib Dems - the party enjoyed a 25.2 per cent swing of the vote when Sarah Green was elected MP for the former Tory seat of Chesham and Amersham in March.

Prime minister Boris Johnson, meanwhile, is now just even-money to step down from his post in 2022. Chancellor of the exchequer Rishi Sunak is a best-priced 9-4 to be next Conservative leader and 5-2 to be the next Prime Minister while Labour leader Keir Starmer is 15-2 to be the next PM.

Not got a Paddy Power account? Sign up and get up to £50 in free sports bets

Place a single £10 Sportsbook bet and get money back as a free bet if it loses. There are x5 Free Bets available. Max refund per qualifying bet is £10. Only deposits made via Credit/Debit Card will be eligible for the promotion. Paddy's Rewards Club: Get a £10 free bet when you place 5x bets of £10+. T&Cs apply 18+ begambleaware.org

MORE FREE BETS

Today's top sports betting stories

Follow us on Twitter @racingpostsport