Sir John Redwood – the veteran MP who headed Margaret Thatcher’s policy unit in the 1980s and has opposed Net Zero and lockdown policies – has announced that he will stand down as a Conservative MP at the forthcoming General Election. The Telegraph has more.
The former Cabinet Minister has represented Wokingham in Berkshire since 1987 and becomes the 73rd Tory MP to stand aside ahead of the next national poll on July 4th.
Rishi Sunak faces a record number of Tories standing down before the election as the total approaches the current record of 75 – the number who quit prior to Sir Tony Blair’s landslide victory in 1997.
Sir John was the head of Margaret Thatcher’s policy unit in No 10 and also served as the Welsh Secretary under John Major.
He was one of the 28 ‘Spartan’ Tory MPs who voted against Theresa May’s Brexit deal on three occasions in 2019 and has emerged as a prominent backbench critic of Mr. Sunak over the tax burden and Net Zero policy.
Writing on his website, Sir John said: “I have decided not to put my name forward in the forthcoming election. I have other things I wish to do.
“It has been a privilege to represent Wokingham in nine parliaments. I have drawn many of my campaigns from the views I have heard on doorsteps and read in my email box. We have achieved good things together for our local community and the wider nation.” …
He has described some of the Government’s Net Zero policies as economic “self-harm” and “self-defeating” and in June 2023 called for a referendum on the Government’s green objectives.
Sir John has also called for lower levels of immigration, arguing current levels are not sustainable, and praised Suella Braverman, the former Home Secretary, for her “legal expertise and determination to control our borders and enforce a fair immigration policy”.
Redwood has been vocal in recent months opposing the WHO Pandemic Treaty in Parliament, making clear that “there must be no new legal requirement imposed on the United Kingdom”. It is a reflection of the sorry state of the Conservative Party that he was never offered a Government office since the Tories returned to power in 2010. The party needs more MPs like him, who stand on principle for freedom and national sovereignty, not fewer.
Worth reading in full.
To join in with the discussion please make a donation to The Daily Sceptic.
Profanity and abuse will be removed and may lead to a permanent ban.