Kate Hoey to stand down as MP for Vauxhall at next election

Labour former minister Kate Hoey has announced she will stand down as the MP for Vauxhall at the next election.

The prominent Brexiteer said that after 30 years representing the constituency she would “not seek re-election as a Labour candidate”.

Labour’s Stephen Pound, who represents Ealing North, and Stephen Twigg, who represents Liverpool, West Derby, have also announced that they will not stand at the next general election.

The deadline for the party’s MPs to declare whether they intend to stand for re-selection as a candidate is on Monday.

Ms Hoey was elected to the London seat in 1989, and has served as a junior minister in the Home Office and Department of National Heritage during her time in Parliament.

Announcing her intention to stand down on Twitter, Ms Hoey said: “Whoever is fortunate enough to be the next MP for Vauxhall I wish them well.”

In a letter to her constituents, Ms Hoey wrote: “Having stated at the 2015 General Election that I would not seek re-election in 2020 I was persuaded to fight the unexpected General Election of 2017.

“Now that the national Labour Party has started the process for the 2022 election I have decided that after 30 years as the MP for Vauxhall I will not seek re-election as a Labour candidate.”

She said she would “continue every single day to give my all to help constituents in Vauxhall and to campaign for policies that make life better for residents” until the next general election.

“I will carry on until a general election serving with the energy, honesty and integrity that I have tried to bring to public service my whole life.

“It remains a huge privilege to serve this special part of London. I have had wonderful staff over the years some with me for over 20 years and I thank them all for their personal support.

“I am profoundly grateful to those party members, local residents, community groups and trade unions with whom I have worked and campaigned over so many years.”

Last year, Ms Hoey suffered a vote of no confidence from her local party, which accused her of ignoring the views of her constituents over Brexit.

The Borough of Lambeth, which includes the Vauxhall constituency, voted 78.6% to stay in the European Union in the 2016 referendum – the highest proportion of Remain voters of any area aside from Gibraltar.