OSWESTRY and Shropshire councillor Mike Isherwood has been selected as the Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for the Green Party in North Shropshire. 

He announced his candidacy during a radio interview on Tuesday, February 28, adding that he was "delighted" to have been chosen by local party members for the role. 

Councillor Isherwood is looking forward to campaigning with them whenever a general election is called: "I’m proud to represent my community as their councillor and hope to be given the opportunity of being their MP.

"We have never been in more need of Green voices speaking up for people and planet."

He continued: "The three old tired parties have had enough chances to deliver a fair, sustainable society that works well for everybody but they have failed again and again.

"The Green Party is the clear alternative for the change we need to happen."

During the interview, Cllr Isherwood spoke about his disappointment at Arriva’s intention to close the bus depot in Oswestry and how it is symptomatic of a broken public transport system in Shropshire.

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He said: "I believe Shropshire Council’s bids for funding for their bus improvements schemes have failed because the DfT doesn’t see a sound record they can invest in.

"We now understand that Arriva’s decision has come partly because their business has been undermined by SC reducing concessionary fares by a third, to a level considerably below other authorities."

Cllr Isherwood believes that this clearly undervalues the people of Shropshire who need a reliable, affordable bus service to get to work or to access health and other services.

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"Which is why getting a better deal for Shropshire on public transport is one of his campaign priorities" he continued "We need to put the wheels back on because the current situation isn’t working for bus passengers or companies."

Co-ordinator of the NS Green Party, Wendy Armour said they are delighted to have Councillor Isherwood as their Prospective Parliamentary Candidate.

The seat is currently held by Liberal Democrat Helen Morgan, after Conservative Owen Paterson stood down in 2021. Shropshire Councillor Dean Carroll was last year named the Tories' spokesman for North Shropshire, but no election candidate has been formally announced.