BREAKING NEWS, Foreign
–
DAVID Cameron, who has represented Witney in Oxfordshire since 2001, will trigger a by-election to find a successor for the area in Parliament. He had stepped down as Prime Minister the morning of the 24 June European Union referendum result after it became clear he had accidentally taken Britain out of the bloc.
Cameron told broadcasters he would not be able to properly represent his area given the circumstances of his departure as Prime Minister. Backing Theresa May’s premiership, he said also said he did not want to be a “distraction” for the Government.
“With modern politics, with the circumstances of my resignation, it isn’t really possible to be a proper backbench MP as a former prime minister. I think everything you do would become a big distraction and a big diversion for what the government needs to do for our country. I support Theresa May, I think she’s got off to a great start, I think she can be a strong Prime Minister for our country. I don’t want to be that distraction. I want Witney to have a new MP who can play a full part in parliamentary and political life without being a distraction.”
He added that he would continue to live locally and support local causes and charities – but that he would “obviously” have to “build a life outside of Westminster”. “I want to thank everybody here in West Oxfordshire who has been so supportive,” he added.
The former PM said he had met with his constituency party chairman earlier this morning, as well as his staff in Witney and London, before making his public resignation statement. The announcement, made in an interview, is a reversal of previous statements by the former prime minister – who had said he wanted to stay on.
In May this year he told BBC Radio Oxford that he was “very keen to continue” as an MP after the scheduled 2020 general election. Asked whether he would stand at the time he replied: “That is very much my intention.”
The former prime minister’s retreat from elected office comes after controversy over his resignation honours list. He was accused of awarding his ‘cronies’ with honours; a Whitehall investigation has been launched. – Independent
— Sep 12, 2016 @ 17:50 GMT
|
Tags:
