PHILIP Dunne will be bidding to continue as Conservative MP for Ludlow.

Mr Dunne has won the nomination of his party to contest Ludlow in what many experts say is the most difficult general election to predict in living memory.

The candidate has backed an election on Thursday, December 12 in a bid to unblock the logjam in the House of Commons.

On the fourth time of asking, MPs voted by 438 votes to 20 to hold an early General Election. Conservatives backed the Bill, while Labour split, with only around half of Labour MPs backing an early election. The remainder of Labour, SNP and Liberal Democrat MPs chose to abstain.

Mr Dunne was first elected Member of Parliament for the Ludlow Constituency in May 2005, winning the seat from the Liberal Democrats.

He was re-elected in 2010, and in 2015 and 2017 he was returned again with record majorities for the constituency.

“This was not my preference,” said Mr Dunne, commenting upon the fact that there will be a Christmas General Election.

“I wanted the deal the Prime Minister had secured to progress through the House, so MPs could debate it, scrutinise it, and vote for it - as happened at the Bill’s Second Reading - then it would have become law.

“But regrettably, Opposition parties made clear their condition of consenting to an election was that the Withdrawal Agreement Bill was not brought back.

“So, for the third time in four years, the public are invited to break the deadlock in Parliament and decide who is best placed to govern this country.

“I am honoured to stand for the fifth time in the Ludlow Constituency, and am looking forward to meeting as many voters as possible, campaigning to deliver a workable majority in the House of Commons to get Brexit done, deliver our positive domestic agenda, and keep Corbyn out.”

Mr Dunne campaigned to remain in the EU the during the referendum.