Exclusive: Tory candidate to replace Owen Paterson, North Shropshire MP. This is a cast iron commitment by the Tory party not to take another job if elected.
- Dr Neil Shastri – Hurst, the Tory favourite for the North Shropshire safe seat
- Paterson was fired on 4 November after he broke the rules of Parliament on paid lobbying
- Dr Shastri-Hurst told MailOnline: ‘I commit to one job and one job only’
In an attempt to distance himself and his predecessor who is now disgraced, Owen Paterson’s Tory candidate has stated that he won’t take any other jobs in the future if he wins.
Dr Neil ShastriHurst, the Tory candidate for North Shropshire’s safe Tory seat is the favorite to win the by-election. This was initiated after Mr Paterson fled in the midst of a scandal.
A former British Army medic and practicing lawyer is now standing in a seat held by the Tories, who won it with a 23,000 majority in 2019. The Conservatives have held it since 1983.
However, the Tories face a pair of December votes which will demonstrate how seriously the Tories’ ongoing scandal is affecting them at the polls.
Mr Paterson quit on November 4 having broken parliamentary rules on paid lobbying on behalf of firms paying him £112,000 a year, on top of his £82,000 MP salary.
Before the North Shropshire by-election on December 16, Dr Shastri Hunt made a “cast iron commitment” that he would not accept any other job, if elected.
MailOnline was informed that he had committed to one job, and only one job, which he described as being a hardworking constituency member MP.
In a by-election that was triggered after Mr Paterson quit in the midst of a scandalous row, Dr Neil ShastriHurst is favourite for the Tory seat of North Shropshire.
Mr Paterson quit on November 4 having broken parliamentary rules on paid lobbying on behalf of firms paying him £112,000 a year, on top of his £82,000 MP salary.
“That’s where I focus my attention. It’s that, and being the father of a young boy!
“My goal is to provide for North Shropshire’s residents. I plan to double the A5 and open the Gobowen Oswestry line. This will protect our farmers and rural communities as well as build upon the investments in digital connectivity.
Mr Shastri-Hurst, whose parents were both NHS medics, was an officer in the Royal Army Medical Corps and has worked as a consultant at University Hospitals Birmingham.
In 2018, he qualified as a barrister and currently is a member at No5 Chambers, Birmingham.
Last week, he was revealed by the Conservatives as they attempt to retain Mr Paterson’s seat.
The former Northern Ireland and Environment Secretary dramatically resigned on November 4 after Boris Johnson executed an extraordinary U-turn on a bid to block his punishment for lobbying that kicked off more than two weeks of sleaze headlines.
Paterson announced that he is quitting his post as MP. The PM had effectively cut Paterson off after 24 years. He said that he would still continue to serve the public ‘outside of the cruel world politics’.
The bombshell came hours after Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg announced the government was dropping plans for a retrospective overhaul of sleaze rules following a huge backlash at the ‘politically-motivated’ decision.
In the wake of the reversal, a motion for suspending Paterson for 30 day for violations to lobbying rule – the sanction recommended by the cross party standards committee – was now set to be brought back before the House within days.
The decision by Mr Paterson makes it unnecessary to have a new battle – as well as removing the possibility of the 65-year old having to file a recall petition or fighting a byelection.
In August 2015, Randox, the clinical diagnostics company Randox, hired Mr Paterson as a consultant. This was one year after his resignation from Government.
Lynn’s Country Foods has had him in a similar position since December 2016 as a processor/distributor of meat products.
Both firms are based in Northern Ireland and between them paid him more than £112,000 a year on top of his £80,000 annual MP salary.
He was found to have violated lobbying regulations by repeatedly approaching the FSA on Randox’s behalf regarding their tests for antibiotics within milk. This happened between 2016-2017.
He also The hardline Brexiteer broke the same rules by making seven approaches to the FSA for Lynn’s Country Foods in November 2017, January 2018 and July 2018 regarding a rival ‘global food producer (who) was acting in breach of EU law by mislabelling a product’.
Additionally, he used his parliamentary chair for Randox meetings in violation of Commons regulations.
Advertisement