Leigh MP cites toxicity of abuse and threats for his reason to step down

As Wigan Today exclusively revealed last night, Leigh’s first ever Conservative representative in Parliament, James Grundy, will stand down at the general election on July 4.

He has faced abuse and threats himself and revealed recently that his parents had also been targeted.

Mr Grundy’s decision to call it a day came within hours of his boss and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stunning Britain by calling the poll far sooner than most had predicted. And the same evening Makerfield MP Yvonne Fovargue also said that she was retiring from parliamentary politics after 14 years.

The political corridors in Wigan are already buzzing with suggestions as to who might be the Labour candidate put forward to replace Ms Fovargue, with views being expressed locally that members wouldn’t want someone “parachuted in from miles away” or not be given a choice.

Jo Platt will now be hoping to regain Leigh for Labour, while the Conservatives will have quickly to field a new candidate too.

As far as Mr Grundy is concerned, he said: “I am immensely proud both of all that I have achieved and the things I have set in motion for the future of our community, but the only reason I was able to do any of these things was because I had the support of local people in fighting for them.

“I was honoured to become both the first ever Conservative MP for the Leigh constituency and also the last MP for the Leigh constituency given the seat will now be abolished and replaced with the new Leigh and Atherton seat.

"On that note I would like to thank everyone who backed my ‘Keep Leigh In Leigh’ campaign to ensure that Westleigh retained its rightful place as part of Leigh and did not become part of a Wigan based constituency, in particular the ever-energetic local champion Trevor Barton.

“I have decided, however, not to contest the new Leigh and Atherton constituency at the unexpectedly announced General Election to take place in July.

"Normally when an MP says they have served under three Prime Ministers, dealt with a world spanning plague for the first time in a century, have to deal with the consequences of the first major war in Europe for nearly 80 years and seen the death of the nations’ longest serving monarch they would be a Parliamentary veteran of nearly 30 years’ service. It is fair to say that the last few years have perhaps been the most challenging Parliament since the one that sat during World War Two.

“There has also been a saddening change in the political climate where increasingly politicians, their families and staff are seen as fair game for abuse, threats of violence or even death threats.

"I have spoken before about the death threats aimed at my elderly parents after the Gaza debate, seen a colleague murdered, seen another have his office burned down and others either stepping down or changing constituencies due to harassment and abuse, to give just some examples during this Parliament.

"This not healthy for our national politics and needs to change, and with that in mind I have decided not to seek re-election.

“This is not to say I haven’t enjoyed my time in office, indeed to serve as an MP is one of the greatest privileges anyone in public service can have and I will never regret my time spent as the MP for the town that gave me the opportunity of a lifetime, the town of Leigh.

"In particular it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to lift the Betfred cup with Leigh Leopards owner Derek Beaumont at Wembley when Leigh won the Cup for the first time in 52 years, an experience I will never forget.

“I’d like to thank the public for putting their faith in me, local Conservative party members for fighting by my side in what seemed the impossible task of winning the constituency in 2019, and the unsung heroes, my office staff who have dealt with nearly 24,000 cases over the last 4 and a half years. They have been absolutely brilliant, especially during the vast amounts of casework we had to deal with during the Covid epidemic, and I cannot thank them enough.

“In the spirit of asking for a healthier national political climate, I will leave you with this photograph of myself and the Mayor of the Borough, Labour councillor Kevin Anderson of Leigh South and his ward colleague councillor Charles Rigby, and their lovely other-halves, when I took them on a tour of Parliament before they attended the recent Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace.

"Politics does not have to be vicious and mean-spirited, and people can hold strongly differing opinions and still treat each other with decency, respect and even be friends, but the public needs to embrace that ideal, or good people will turn away from going into politics and engaging in public service.

“Thank you again to the people of Leigh, Lowton, Golborne, Astley, Tyldesley and Atherton for giving someone so ordinary as myself the extraordinary opportunity of serving as your MP. I wish whoever serves as my successor as local MP the very best of goodwill, whoever that person may be."

On the Labour candidate front, a source told Wigan Today: “Ideally we want someone local with a good knowledge of the area. The last thing we want is someone parachuted in from miles away in a complacent belief that Makerfield is an unlosable seat.

"Local members will also want to be presented with a choice of candidates so they can make the final decision.”

Among those names touted already are Wigan councillors Nazia Rehman – who was shortlisted as the Labour candidate for Rochdale after the death of Tony Lloyd earlier this year – and Dane Anderton.

Meanwhile the leader of Wigan Council, David Molyneux, has joined the tributes to Ms Fovargue.

He said: “I am sorry Yvonne is going. She has been a very good constituency MP and certainly the support we have received from her on a number of occasions has been invaluable.

"In taking over from Ian McCartney in that seat she had big shoes to fill, but she did it.”