A former South Shropshire MP plans to fight the General Election to win back his old seat – but under a different flag. Christopher Gill, who lives near Bridgnorth, won the Ludlow Constituency for the Tories with record majorities between 1987 and 2001.
But this summer the farmer and businessman will be contesting the traditionally Conservative seat for the United Kingdom Independence Party. His decision to throw his hat into the ring means that at least five candidates will be vying for the seat occupied and being defended by Conservative Philip Dunne.
The line-up will also include Liberal Democrat Heather Kidd, Labour’s Anthony Hunt, 30, from South Wales and Christina Evans, 27, of Ludlow as the BNP candidate.
Mr Gill’s career with the Tory party came to an end when he rebelled against the Treaty of European Union (Maastricht) and had the party whip removed for refusing to vote in favour of increasing Britain’s payments to Brussels.
Mr Gill said this week he had been ‘driven’ to stand because of the failure of all three major parties to honour their promises of a referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union.
“But this is not just about the EU, although my feelings on that are well known, but it is also about the erosion of our individual freedoms,” said Mr Gill, a past chairman and president of the Freedom Association.
“It is also the recognition that it is so difficult to get the three major parties to address the real problems facing this country today, and it is difficult to see the differences between them in so many respects.”
Mr Dunne said the election – widely forecast to be on May 6 – would provide an opportunity to change the Government. “Only the Conservatives can deliver that change,” he claimed. “A vote for any of the minor parties, including UKIP, the BNP, Lib Dems or Greens will help keep Gordon Brown as Prime Minister.
“It was the Labour Government, supported by the Liberal Democrats, which denied the British people a referendum over the Lisbon Treaty before it was adopted into law throughout the UK.”
Liberal Democrat Heather Kidd said she welcomed Mr Gill’s decision to stand in the General Election. “A well-known local candidate will add a new dimension to the fight,” she said.