Helen Morgan is the new MP for North Shropshire.

The candidates have gathered to hear the returning officer announce the result...

While we wait for the announcement, Nick Robinson, presenter of BBC Radio 4's Today programme, has shared his take on the expected result...

Martin Daubney, the Reclaim Party's candidate for the North Shropshire by-election, has said it looks like it will be an "historic swing" in favour of the Liberal Democrats...

We're hearing that the result of the North Shropshire by-election could be announced within minutes.

Stay with us for all the key updates and reaction.

As this graphic shows, the Liberal Democrats had a huge amount of ground to make up after the 2019 election - the Conservatives had a majority of 22,949.

We've just got some pictures of Liberal Democrat candidate Helen Morgan arriving at Shrewsbury Sports Village, where the count for the North Shropshire by-election is being held.

Image source, PA Media

The Liberal Democrats have claimed victory in the previously safe Conservative seat of North Shropshire - although the result is unconfirmed.

But who were the Liberal Democrat and Conservative candidates?

Liberal Democrats - Helen Morgan

Helen Morgan, a 46-year-old chartered accountant, lives with her husband and son in the Shropshire village of Harmer Hill.

She stood for the party in the constituency during the 2019 general election, external and came third behind Labour with 10% of the vote share.

Conservatives - Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst

Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst is a former Army medical officer and honorary NHS consultant who now works as a barrister.

He has said he is currently renting a home just outside the Shropshire market town of Wem and intends to move permanently to North Shropshire with his wife and son.

You can read more about the other candidates here.

Handling of the Paterson row

The by-election was triggered by the resignation of the Conservative MP Owen Paterson after a row over his conduct led to a government U-turn.

The 65-year-old was found to have broken lobbying rules and was facing suspension - until Tory MPs blocked it by calling for an overhaul of the MPs' standards watchdog instead.

The MPs had the backing of No 10, but Downing Street reversed its decision after a furious backlash.

The government faced criticism of how it dealt with the fallout from the row, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson admitting last month that he could have handled it "better".

Christmas parties during Covid restrictions

The government has faced growing anger over reports that a string of parties in Downing Street and other government departments took place last Christmas when coronavirus restrictions were in force.

Cabinet Secretary Simon Case is conducting an investigation into possible Covid rule breaches at four parties.

Sleaze claims and flat revamp

Last week, the Conservative Party was fined £17,800 by the Electoral Commission for "failing to accurately report a donation" that paid for the expensive revamp of Mr Johnson's Downing Street flat.

The work was initially paid for by the Cabinet Office, but £52,000 was given to the Conservative Party by Tory peer Lord Brownlow to cover the bills. Mr Johnson said he has now covered all the costs out of his own pocket.

Tory rebellion over Covid passes

Just days ago, Mr Johnson faced the biggest rebellion of his premiership when 100 of his MPs voted against the government's plan to bring in Covid passports in England.

The measure passed thanks to Labour support, with the party's leader Sir Keir Starmer calling the Tory revolt a "very significant blow to the already damaged authority of the prime minister".

We don't know the result from North Shropshire - although it could be announced within the next hour or so.

A Lib Dem spokesman has claimed they have won "comfortably" - and this tweet from the MP for Oxford West & Abingdon also strikes a confident tone...

Lib Dem victory would be 'one of the most sensational results in decades'published at 02:39 Greenwich Mean Time 17 December 2021

02:39 GMT 17 December 2021

Lewis Goodall
Newsnight policy editor

It looks like we might be on the verge of one of the most sensational by-election results in Britain for decades.

I say that with no hyperbole.

This is a rock-solid Conservative seat, it is the sort of seat by reflex, by inclination that has been delivering Conservative majorities basically since Britain has been a democratic country.

And yet tonight, the Liberal Democrats, who have been positioning themselves as a challenger to Boris Johnson's Conservatives in this seat, have said: "We're not just going to win, we're going to win comfortably."

If the Liberal Democrats have won, it will be an utter body blow for the prime minister.

His MPs will be waking up tomorrow looking at the prospects of him and his party losing one of the safest Conservative seats in the country right before Christmas.

There will be a lot of speculation - and a very difficult political moment about what that means for his leadership.

I suspect because Parliament will be off for Christmas holidays, he will have a bit of breathing space, but make no mistake, it has a been a cataclysmic few months for Boris Johnson.

It just got even worse.

Speaking at by-election count in Shrewsbury, Liberal Democrat MP for Edinburgh West Christine Jardine said: "I don't want to put a figure on it [the size of the claimed victory] just now but we are just delighted that we've listened to the voters in North Shropshire and those voters are putting their confidence in us.

"People who are fed up, people who are tired and who are angry at the way this government has behaved know now that they have an alternative.

"Conservative MPs right across those 'Blue Wall' seats will be looking over their shoulders.

"The Conservatives had a majority... Owen Paterson had a majority of more than 20,000. We've turned that round tonight - turned it round comfortably. That's astonishing."

A Lib Dem party spokesman said: "We're not just going to win, we're going to win comfortably. This is an amazing night for the Liberal Democrats and a disaster for Boris Johnson."

The result is expected to be announced in the early hours of Friday.

Image source, House of Commons

Owen Paterson had held the North Shropshire seat since 1997 for the Conservatives.

Under David Cameron, Paterson held a number of positions in government including Northern Ireland secretary and environment secretary, before he returned to the bank benches in 2014.

After leaving government he became a paid consultant for Randox Laboratories and Lynn's Country Foods who paid him thousands of pounds a month.

When he was found to have lobbied on behalf of these companies, the Commissioner for Parliamentary Standards recommended he be suspended as an MP for 30 days for breaking lobbying rules.

He would deny any rules were broken but eventually resigned from his position in November, after the government was accused of "cronyism" for its efforts to block his suspension.

Mr Johnson said he could have handled the affair "better" - and then admitted to MPs he "crashed the car" .

Welcome to our live coverage of the by-election result in North Shropshire.

The result is expected in early hours of Friday - and the Liberal Democrats say they expect to win “comfortably”.

The election was triggered by the resignation of Conservative MP Owen Paterson. He had a majority of almost 23,000.

Turnout in the by-election was 46.3% - down on the 2019 general election figure of 62.9%.