WARRINGTON North MP Helen Jones has announced her retirement ahead of the forthcoming General Election, with a new candidate for the Labour Party set to be named in the coming days.
The MP, who has served Warrington North for 22 years, announced her decisin to retire in a letter Warrington north Chairman Graham Friend.
Her letter read:
Dear Graham
I am writing to let you know that I have decided not to stand at the next General Election.
It has been a great privilege to be Warrington North’s M.P. for over 22 years and I am deeply grateful to the voters here who have elected me at six General Elections. Their support, their innate decency and their kindness has enabled me to carry on when times were tough.
I also want to place on record my thanks to Labour members who have supported me in those elections and who have campaigned with me through the years.
Together, we have changed the way this constituency works, moving from having no contact records for voters to one with a voter i.d. rate of 84%, one of the highest in the country. We changed from a constituency which simply put out a leaflet at election time to one which held regular mobile surgeries.
I am proud to have been a part of that, just as I am proud to have secured, in 2013, from a reluctant coalition government, three quarters of a million pounds of additional funding for our special needs education; to have been instrumental in delivering Junction 8; to have stood with residents against the HS2 spur, the proposed waste transfer site, the proposed incinerator, and developing Peel Hall; and to have led the campaign to have Warrington Borough Council adopt the real Living Wage. Most of all, I am proud to have helped thousands and thousands of people who have brought their concerns to me over the years.
I was honoured to have been elected the first ever Chair of the Petitions Select Committee and to have been involved in the development of a petitions system that has allowed millions of people to engage directly with Parliament. Petitions have led to real change, most notably on funding for brain tumour research and access to life-extending drugs for cystic fibrosis sufferers.”
Chair of Warrington North Labour Party, Graham Friend, said: “Helen Jones MP has given 22 years of devoted service to the people of Warrington North. We are very sad to learn that she has decided to retire at this election.
“Whether it is campaigning to save Peel Hall from development, securing money from Government for our young people, or taking up any one of the thousands of individual cases that have crossed her desk, Helen has been a tireless advocate for her constituents. She has lived and breathed Warrington North for more than 22 years, often working seven days a week for the communities that she loves, and has never shied away from her responsibilities to stand up for what she believes in, and the people she represents.
“I know that many Labour Party members and constituents will be very sorry to see her go. On behalf of the Labour Party, I would like to thank her for everything she has delivered for our area. People here can see the difference that Helen has made, and the passion with which she has furthered the causes close to her heart. We wish her all the very best for her retirement.
“The Labour Party will announce our candidate for the December General Election in the coming days.”
We are heading towards a General Election on December 12 – How do you intend to vote? (Only 4 options due to twitter limit)
— warrington-worldwide (@warringtonworld) October 29, 2019
