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The North Shropshire by-election was precipitated by the resignation of the incumbent Conservative MP, Owen Paterson.
Answer: True
Explanation: The election was indeed triggered by the resignation of Owen Paterson, the Conservative Member of Parliament for North Shropshire, following a controversy regarding parliamentary standards.
Owen Paterson resigned due to allegations concerning breaches of paid advocacy rules.
Answer: True
Explanation: Owen Paterson's resignation was directly linked to a controversy involving allegations that he had breached parliamentary rules on paid advocacy.
The government initially supported Owen Paterson's suspension without review.
Answer: False
Explanation: Initially, the government supported an amendment to postpone consideration of Paterson's suspension and establish a new review committee, which caused significant controversy before the government reversed its position.
Owen Paterson was appointed to the Chiltern Hundreds as the mechanism to vacate his seat.
Answer: False
Explanation: While the appointment to the Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead (commonly referred to as the Chiltern Hundreds) is the procedural mechanism for vacating a seat, Owen Paterson's resignation was precipitated by the standards controversy, not the appointment itself as the primary cause.
What was the primary reason for the 2021 North Shropshire by-election?
Answer: The resignation of Conservative MP Owen Paterson following a standards controversy.
Explanation: The by-election was necessitated by the resignation of Conservative MP Owen Paterson, which occurred after a controversy concerning breaches of parliamentary standards.
Who was the incumbent Conservative MP whose resignation triggered the by-election?
Answer: Owen Paterson
Explanation: The resignation of Owen Paterson, the Conservative Member of Parliament for North Shropshire, was the direct cause for the by-election.
Helen Morgan, representing the Conservative Party, secured victory in the 2021 North Shropshire by-election.
Answer: False
Explanation: While Helen Morgan won the by-election, she represented the Liberal Democrats, not the Conservative Party.
The Labour, Liberal Democrats, and Green parties successfully fielded a joint independent 'anti-sleaze' candidate.
Answer: False
Explanation: While the possibility of a joint independent candidate was discussed among Labour, Liberal Democrats, and the Green Party, they ultimately did not field one; instead, they presented their own candidates.
Neil Shastri-Hurst, the Conservative candidate, is a former British Army Medical Officer.
Answer: True
Explanation: Neil Shastri-Hurst, who stood as the Conservative candidate, has a background that includes service as a former British Army Medical Officer.
Helen Morgan had never previously stood as a candidate for North Shropshire before the 2021 by-election.
Answer: False
Explanation: Helen Morgan had previously contested the North Shropshire seat for the Liberal Democrats in the 2019 general election.
The Labour candidate, Ben Wood, was selected without any internal party opposition.
Answer: False
Explanation: The selection process for the Labour candidate, Ben Wood, faced internal opposition, notably from the previous candidate, Graeme Currie, who expressed dissatisfaction.
The UK Independence Party (UKIP) was the sole party fielding a 'hard eurosceptic' candidate.
Answer: False
Explanation: While UKIP fielded a 'hard eurosceptic' candidate, the Reclaim Party and the Heritage Party also presented candidates described with similar political stances.
Kirsty Walmsley of Reform UK stated she would have stood against Owen Paterson.
Answer: False
Explanation: Kirsty Walmsley, the Reform UK candidate, indicated that she would not have stood against Owen Paterson, whom she described as a man of integrity.
Who won the 2021 North Shropshire by-election?
Answer: Helen Morgan
Explanation: Helen Morgan, representing the Liberal Democrats, won the 2021 North Shropshire by-election.
Which party did the winner of the North Shropshire by-election represent?
Answer: Liberal Democrats
Explanation: The winning candidate, Helen Morgan, represented the Liberal Democrats.
Which candidate had previously contested the North Shropshire seat for the Liberal Democrats in the 2019 general election?
Answer: Helen Morgan
Explanation: Helen Morgan, the winning candidate in the by-election, had previously stood for the Liberal Democrats in the North Shropshire constituency during the 2019 general election.
Which of the following parties fielded 'hard eurosceptic' candidates in the by-election?
Answer: UK Independence Party, Reclaim Party, Heritage Party
Explanation: The UK Independence Party (UKIP), the Reclaim Party, and the Heritage Party all fielded candidates described as 'hard eurosceptic'.
The Financial Times reported that Labour strategists viewed North Shropshire as:
Answer: An inhospitable seat unlikely to yield victory.
Explanation: According to the Financial Times, Labour strategists considered North Shropshire to be an inhospitable constituency where victory was unlikely, and thus not a priority for resource allocation.
The 2021 North Shropshire by-election was held on November 5, 2021.
Answer: False
Explanation: The by-election was actually conducted on December 16, 2021, not November 5, 2021.
A total of 14 candidates competed in the 2021 North Shropshire by-election.
Answer: True
Explanation: The 2021 North Shropshire by-election featured a field of 14 distinct candidates.
Helen Morgan won the by-election with just over 50% of the vote.
Answer: False
Explanation: Helen Morgan secured 47.2% of the vote, which is less than just over 50%.
The Conservative candidate Neil Shastri-Hurst received less than 30% of the vote.
Answer: False
Explanation: Neil Shastri-Hurst received 31.6% of the vote, which is more than 30%.
Ben Wood, the Labour candidate, secured approximately 10% of the vote.
Answer: True
Explanation: Ben Wood, the Labour candidate, received 9.7% of the vote, which is approximately 10%.
The voter turnout for the by-election was higher than in the 2019 general election.
Answer: False
Explanation: The voter turnout for the by-election (46.2%) was lower than that of the 2019 general election (67.9%).
The swing from Conservative to Liberal Democrat was approximately 25%.
Answer: False
Explanation: The actual swing from the Conservative Party to the Liberal Democrats was approximately 34.2 percentage points, not 25%.
Helen Morgan won the by-election with a majority of over 10,000 votes.
Answer: False
Explanation: Helen Morgan secured a majority of 5,925 votes, which is less than 10,000.
In the 2019 general election, the Conservative candidate secured less than 50% of the vote in North Shropshire.
Answer: False
Explanation: In the 2019 general election, the Conservative candidate, Owen Paterson, secured 62.7% of the vote, which is substantially more than 50%.
The Conservatives held a majority of over 40% in North Shropshire prior to the by-election.
Answer: True
Explanation: Prior to the by-election, the Conservative Party held a substantial majority of 40.6% in the North Shropshire constituency.
Yolande Kenward, an independent candidate, received the highest number of votes among minor party candidates.
Answer: False
Explanation: Yolande Kenward received only 3 votes, the lowest number among all candidates, not the highest among minor party candidates.
The total number of valid votes cast in the by-election exceeded 40,000.
Answer: False
Explanation: The total number of valid votes cast in the by-election was 38,022, which is less than 40,000.
What was the approximate swing from the Conservative Party to the Liberal Democrats in this by-election?
Answer: 34.2%
Explanation: The swing from the Conservative Party to the Liberal Democrats was approximately 34.2 percentage points, representing a significant electoral shift.
When was the 2021 North Shropshire by-election held?
Answer: December 16, 2021
Explanation: The 2021 North Shropshire by-election was held on December 16, 2021.
How many candidates stood for election in the 2021 North Shropshire by-election?
Answer: 14
Explanation: A total of 14 candidates contested the 2021 North Shropshire by-election.
What was the vote share percentage for the winning Liberal Democrat candidate, Helen Morgan?
Answer: 47.2%
Explanation: Helen Morgan, the winning Liberal Democrat candidate, secured 47.2% of the vote.
What percentage of the vote did the Conservative candidate, Neil Shastri-Hurst, receive?
Answer: 31.6%
Explanation: The Conservative candidate, Neil Shastri-Hurst, received 31.6% of the vote.
What was the voter turnout percentage in the 2021 North Shropshire by-election?
Answer: 46.2%
Explanation: The voter turnout for the 2021 North Shropshire by-election was 46.2%.
What was the majority achieved by Helen Morgan in the by-election?
Answer: 5,925 votes
Explanation: Helen Morgan achieved a majority of 5,925 votes in the by-election.
What was the percentage turnout in the 2019 general election for North Shropshire?
Answer: 67.9%
Explanation: The voter turnout in the 2019 general election for the North Shropshire constituency was 67.9%.
What was the swing from Labour to the Liberal Democrats in the by-election?
Answer: 37.2%
Explanation: The swing from the Labour Party to the Liberal Democrats in the by-election was approximately 37.2 percentage points.
How many rejected ballots were recorded in the 2021 North Shropshire by-election?
Answer: 74
Explanation: There were 74 rejected ballots cast in the 2021 North Shropshire by-election.
The Liberal Democrats' victory in North Shropshire marked the first occasion a non-Conservative had held the seat since 1904.
Answer: True
Explanation: This electoral outcome was historically significant, representing the first time a non-Conservative MP had represented the constituency since 1904, when the area was known as Oswestry.
The North Shropshire constituency includes the towns of Chester and Liverpool.
Answer: False
Explanation: The North Shropshire constituency encompasses towns such as Oswestry, Market Drayton, Whitchurch, Wem, and Ellesmere. Chester and Liverpool are located outside this constituency.
In the 2016 EU referendum, a majority of North Shropshire voters chose to remain in the European Union.
Answer: False
Explanation: Contrary to remaining, 60% of the constituents in North Shropshire who participated in the 2016 EU referendum voted to leave the European Union.
Helen Morgan apologized for comparing Priti Patel to Joseph Goebbels.
Answer: True
Explanation: During the campaign, Helen Morgan issued an apology for comments she made, including a comparison of Home Secretary Priti Patel to Joseph Goebbels.
The by-election result was considered a turning point for the Liberal Democrats in Shropshire, contributing to their later success in gaining control of Shropshire Council.
Answer: True
Explanation: The by-election victory was indeed seen as a significant political development, bolstering the Liberal Democrats' position and contributing to their subsequent success in securing control of Shropshire Council in May 2025.
Which of the following towns is NOT listed as being within the North Shropshire constituency?
Answer: Shrewsbury
Explanation: The North Shropshire constituency includes Oswestry, Market Drayton, Whitchurch, Wem, and Ellesmere. Shrewsbury is not part of this constituency.
What was the result of the 2016 EU referendum vote within the North Shropshire constituency?
Answer: 60% voted to leave the European Union.
Explanation: In the 2016 EU referendum, 60% of the votes cast in the North Shropshire constituency were in favour of leaving the European Union.
What was the significance of the Liberal Democrats' victory regarding local government in Shropshire?
Answer: It contributed to the Liberal Democrats gaining control of Shropshire Council in May 2025.
Explanation: The by-election's outcome was considered a significant political development, contributing to the Liberal Democrats' subsequent success in securing control of Shropshire Council in May 2025.
Helen Morgan's vote share in the 2019 general election was higher than Labour's.
Answer: False
Explanation: In the 2019 general election, Helen Morgan secured 10.0% of the vote, while the Labour candidate received 22.1%, meaning Labour's share was higher.