Theresa May announces decision to quit Parliament
Theresa May has said she will not fight the next general election, bringing a 27-year career in Parliament to an end.
The former prime minister revealed her decision to stand down as MP for Maidenhead on Friday, saying she would focus on championing causes including the fight against modern slavery.
In a statement to her local newspaper, the Maidenhead Advertiser, she said: “Since stepping down as prime minister I have enjoyed being a backbencher again and having more time to work for my constituents and champion causes close to my heart including most recently launching a Global Commission on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking.
“These causes have been taking an increasing amount of my time.
“Because of this, after much careful thought and consideration, I have realised that, looking ahead, I would no longer be able to do my job as an MP in the way I believe is right and my constituents deserve.”
Elected
Mrs May, 67, has been a consistent campaigner on modern slavery and human trafficking, and launched her Global Commission in October, backed by the UK and Bahrain governments.
She was first elected as MP for Maidenhead in 1997, and served as home secretary under David Cameron between 2010 and 2016 before succeeding him as prime minister.
Her term in Downing Street lasted a turbulent three years and was dominated by wrangling over Brexit.
A snap election in 2017 saw her lose her majority, but she remained at Number 10 thanks to a deal with the DUP in the resulting hung parliament.
Eventually, opposition to her proposed Brexit deal saw Conservative MPs hold a confidence vote in her leadership, and although she survived her authority was diminished and she announced her resignation five months later.
In her statement, Mrs May said it had been “an honour and a privilege” to serve as Maidenhead’s MP and vowed to continue working for her constituents until the general election, which is expected in the second half of this year.
Fight
She added: “As I pass the baton on I will be working with my successor to secure a Conservative victory in Maidenhead. I remain committed to supporting Rishi Sunak and the Government and believe that the Conservatives can win the election.
“I would like to thank all those who chose me to represent them as their Member of Parliament.”
Almost 100 MPs have now announced they will not fight their seats at the next election, including 64 Conservatives and former Conservatives – the most Tories to retire from Parliament since Mrs May entered the Commons in 1997.
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A long running partner of the Daily Mail takes her retirement, sadly she has become a pattern for the clones she leaves behind…Penny looks a shoe-in…
That’s one less xenophobe in Westminster then.
Anti devolutionist , who promised, if elected, she would reverse devolution and return desicion making to Westminster, from all the devolved Govs. Fortunately she lost, to Tony Blair, unfortunately. No friend of Cymru or democracy, when she can promise to overturn the votes and wishes of the Celtic countries.
She sits quietly post Johnson as though butter wouldn’t melt but Windrush and the hostile atmosphere were on her watch as PM. Maybe a lower profile candidate in Maidenhead will lose the seat for the Tories. Here’s hoping.
Red lines, police, refugees, not a glowing report, and Windrush (despicable) then no visit to Grenfell. Then on the flip side a thorn in the side of the BJ and Sunak government (but not a big one), but then her performance was used and abused by the brexit loons and she was ousted, the Tory party did a number on her.
And we now have a hostile government to anyone in the UK unless you donate huge buckets of loot to the Cons.
For all this she will get an ermine coat.
No, Windrush alone removes any sympathy for her.
This is the EDUCATED IDIOT WHO CUT THE POLICE FORCE BY 20000 and then the dimwit Tories announced they where recruiting some years later at a cost of hundreds of millions in redundency and recruiting