VERY shortly, sitting MP’s have to notify their party whether they intend to stand again at the next general election, given that the boundary review, the process carried out by the independent Boundary Commission for England in order to balance the number of voters between seats, is now largely complete.

As Journal readers will already know, the ‘Keep Leigh in Leigh’ campaign I ran alongside local community groups to keep the Leigh constituency together was largely successful, and although there may be minor changes still to come to tidy up the new boundaries, I am happy to tell you all that I will be seeking re-election to the new Leigh and Atherton constituency whenever the next general election takes place.

Given all the stories in the press about MPs standing down at the next election, either because their constituencies have been abolished, or because they feel they are too old to continue serving, or simply because they feel that they would like a more normal job, I thought it was the appropriate time to tell local voters where I stood.

Indeed, by the time you read this article, it will be almost three years to the day since the 2019 election, where Leigh bucked a century long tradition of electing Labour MPs, over a combination of national issues such as Brexit, and a range of local issues regarding Wigan Council, electing me as the first ever Conservative MP for the Leigh constituency.

I must say it has been an interesting three years to say the least. As a new MP, I think I may have seen more world history in three years than many MPs see in three decades.

There was of course the historic passing of the Brexit legislation at the very beginning of my term in office, followed by the immensely difficult time of the world spanning plague that was Covid, immediately followed by the first major war in Europe since the end of World War Two with the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, and the death of Her Majesty the Queen.

It has been an immense honour to serve as the MP for my hometown over the last three years, despite the incredibly difficult circumstances of the job during that time.

I do hope, however, that the remaining two years of my term of office will be less eventful!

Either way, as we head towards Christmas, the minds of local people will move away from political matters, and towards family and festivities. I think all of us have had enough of politics this year, and to be honest dear readers of the Journal, that includes me.

I look forward to writing for you all again in my Christmas column for the Journal in a few weeks, and I promise it will be politics free!