Mossley man stands down as MP
06 Nov 09 03:27 Filed in: News
Mossley man stands down as MP
The YamYam 6 Nov 09
Lib Dem MP and former Bloxwich and Willenhall Lib Dem activist, David Howarth, has announced he will stand down as an MP at the next general election.
The party's justice spokesman has represented Cambridge since 2005, having taken the seat from Labour's Anne Campbell.
Mr Howarth, a law and economics lecturer, said he would "concentrate on my other life as an academic".
Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said he would be "sorely missed", adding: "Academia's gain is very much politics' loss."
More than 100 MPs have announced they will stand down at the general election, which must be held by next June.
Mr Howarth, a former Cambridge city councillor, said: "After nearly 22 years of elected public office, the time has come for me to concentrate on my other life, as an academic.
"It has been a privilege to serve the people of Cambridge over that time, both in local government and in Parliament."
Mr Clegg said: "David will be sorely missed. His colleagues here in Westminster - across all parties - recognise him as a politician of huge integrity and intellectual ability."
David Howarth is one of the Lib Dem’s leading thinkers on constitutional issues and has led the campaign for Fixed Term Parliaments. A leading acolyte of Chris Huhne, he also firmly opposes closer ties with the Labour Party. He is one of the three editors of the left-leaning Reinventing the State book.
During the height of the Daily Telegraph’s MPs’ expenses investigation David Howarth was singled out as one of a handful of MP’s as having second homes for which they did NOT claim expenses.
Dave was brought up in Mossley and went to Queen Mary’s school in Walsall before going onto Cambridge.
Dave Howarth MP 5 Nov Tributes to Howarth as he prepares to stand down