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She was first elected MP for the West Midlands constituency of Aldridge-Brownhills in 2015, having missed out to Truss’s rival Rishi Sunak in a bid to become the party candidate for Richmond in 2014.

Walsall councillors paid tribute to the ex-Conservative Aldridge-Brownhills MP, who served the constituency constantly for 36 years between 1979 to 2015.

Councillor John Murray, who joined the Aldridge-Brownhills Conservative Association in 1979 and worked on Sir Richard's first election campaign, said his belief in democracy made him a leading Euro-sceptic and at times a parliamentary rebel.

"He was fiercely loyal to Aldridge-Brownhills and never one to toe the party line," he said.