NORTH Shropshire MP Owen Paterson has backed former Mayor of London Boris Johnson to become the next Prime Minister.

Mr Paterson had remained tight-lipped about which candidate he would be supporting in the Conservative Party race for leadership, however in a recent article with The Telegraph the MP for north Shropshire gives his backing to Mr Johnson.

He labels the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs as the “only man able to win back Tory voters” from Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party.

Mr Paterson told The Telegraph: “Boris has fully grasped the existential threat which any delay poses. He has warned our colleagues that we face “extinction” if we do not deliver.

“He recognises that the current Withdrawal Agreement has been completely rejected. He has promised that we will leave the European Union by October 31.

“Boris is the only candidate who can win back the support of those who have left the Conservatives for the Brexit Party, as polling this week has shown. He is the only candidate who can prevent the horror of a Corbyn Government.

“Boris understands that the Conservatives will not be listened to on anything until we have delivered Brexit.”

He added that he believes Mr Johnson has the right vision to take the country forward.

“But once we have, Boris has a truly positive vision of what Conservative values can do for the UK: lowering taxes, simplifying regulation to support families, unleash entrepreneurs and create prosperity; empowering the police to tackle violent crime; and addressing the appalling imbalance between urban and rural school funding to ensure that every child can receive the best start in life.

“Boris has a proven track record.

“We need a leader who will inspire confidence in our country at home and generate excitement abroad. Boris Johnson is that leader.”