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Dudley MP Mike Wood vows to hit campaign trail after fight for life

Only a matter of weeks ago he was fighting for his life in hospital – now Dudley South MP Mike Wood is planning his re-election campaign.

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But there is one slight snag. "I'm still not walking particularly well," admits Mr Wood, who was elected to the Commons for the first time two years ago.

The Conservative is currently home recovering from sepsis having previously been given just a 10 per cent chance of survival by doctors.

The 41-year-old added: "Clearly as far as timing goes it is difficult for me but I am looking forward to getting out and talking to people in Dudley South and hoping they will put their trust in me.

"I am only walking short distances now and election campaigns normally mean you spend a lot of time on your feet.

"But we will be working hard and I will find a way so I can get out and about and talk to local voters in Dudley South."

Mr Wood was elected with a 4,270 majority over Labour's Natasha Millward in 2015 – increasing the Conservative majority of 3,856 won by his predecessor Chris Kelly in 2010.

After suffering with a sore throat for several weeks, Mr Wood became seriously ill at the end of January and was taken to the urgent care walk-in centre at Russells Hall. It was initially thought that he might be suffering from meningitis, but a specialist doctor recognised the symptoms of sepsis.

He was rushed into intensive care and placed in a medically-induced coma.

His sore throat turned out to be caused by Streptococcus A bacteria, which led to the breakdown of his immune system as his body's organs came under attack.

Mr Wood, who supported the vote to leave the EU, spent three weeks getting used to breathing independently, re-learning how to walk and eating solid foods, before he was cleared to return to his home in Stourbridge last month.

Although still recovering, days later he made the journey to vote in the Brexit Bill in the House of Commons – arriving in a wheelchair.

"The feeling I get from the doorstep is people are happy with the path the Government is taking and they clearly don't want Jeremy Corbyn as Prime Minister," he said.

Mr Wood is one of three MPs in the region to be elected to Parliament for the first time two years ago who are now seeking re-election.

The others are fellow Conservative MPs Amanda Milling in Cannock Chase and Wendy Morton in Aldridge-Brownhills.

"It is a surprise," said Mr Wood. "I don't think any of us thought we would be campaigning so soon after being elected – but it is the right decision by the Prime Minister."

And it won't just be Mr Wood who has difficulty campaigning for the snap General Election on June 8.

Labour's Emma Reynolds in Wolverhampton North East gave birth to son Theo on Good Friday.

Technically she is on maternity leave from the House of Commons but will be out on the streets of Wolverhampton in the coming weeks.

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