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I'm going – but Labour will stay in power
BOTH supporters and political opponents of High Peak MP Tom Levitt were wrong-footed this week when he announced he was to stand down at the next election.
Mr Levitt, who retained his seat in 2005 with a majority of 735, said it had been a huge privilege to represent the constituency but that it was time to move on.
"It is something I hadn't dared think about, in a sense, because I am totally committed to this job and will stay totally committed to the election and including the election campaign.
"But when I started to think about it, what life may have in store afterwards, I realised I had got ten years to do something else, " said the Labour MP, who in April will become High Peak's longest-serving MP since the Second World War.
He said: "I didn't want to go at the height of the expenses furore but in good time to give my replacement time to settle in."
After the current Parliament he also intends to spend more time with his wife, their children and grandchildren, whom he thanked for their continued support.
Mr Levitt said the last six months had been torrid.
"Rightly, MPs have suffered collective as well as individual criticism for the scandalous mess of parliamentary allowances. Steps are now being taken to stop MPs deciding on our own expenses, pay and conditions ever again.
"This is the right thing to do. We need to demonstrate that a line has been drawn. New levels of transparency, compliance and enforcement can restore confidence in Parliament and the democratic system."
He said that Labour would be much higher in the polls and looking forward to an easy fourth term were it not for the Iraq War. Mr Levitt who gave his support to the conflict said: "In retrospect I would still have voted the same way."
Mr Levitt said he was most proud of his role in ensuring the Devonshire Dome was acquired by the University of Derby.
"It is something that ultimately only happened because of my intervention, persuading ministers to give the hospital away without maximising profit," he said.
"That has been worth 25 million a year into the local economy as well as saving a wonderful building and providing a tremendous resource for the whole area.
"But the other things are the ways I have ben able to help individual constituents whether with CSA or tax credits, getting various decisions changed in a just and helpful way, that has been really rewarding."
The timetable to selecting a Labour Party candidate will now begin, with a candidate expected to be in place by the end of January.
"The election is by no means lost. A lot of things can happen in the next six months," said Mr Levitt.
"Opinion polls may be pointing to a hung parliament right now but actually we are performing better than John Major was before the 1992 election and my other message would be never forget that Conservatives believe in cutting spending in services in principle The people of High Peak would suffer from an incoming Conservative government."
Peak is a key battleground
THE HIGH Peak constituency, a Labour seat for the last three elections, looks set to be one of the key battle grounds for the General Election.
It has previously been a Conservative-held seat, apart from a period in the mid 1960s, before it went to Labour when Tony Blair took his party into Government in 1997.
Tom Levitt, a former county councillor, had failed to win the seat from Conservative Charles Hendry in the 1992 election.
However Mr Hendry's Conservative majority of 4,819 became a massive 8,791 Labour majority when Mr Levitt was elected four years later, having taken over fifty per cent of the vote.
In 2001 Mr Levitt retained his seat, this time fighting off the challenge of Conservative Simon Chapman, although his majority was reduced to 4,489
Then in 2005 the hotly contested seat saw High Peak electors again return a Labour MP.
With a turnout of 66.79 per cent Tom Levitt polled 19,809, just 735 more than Conservative Andrew Bingham who polled 19,074.
Liberal Democrat candidate Marc Godwin secured 10,000 voted while UKIP candidate Michael Schwartz polled 1,106.
It was the Liberal Democrats best showing securing twenty per cent of the vote.
Conservative Andrew Bingham is now the only candidate in place from the three main parties with an election due before June.
The Liberal Democrats are looking at selecting a new candidate after Councillor Stephen Sharp stood down.
Now the Labour Party will have to do the same and are looking to have a new candidate in place in the New Year.
Pay-off for MPs
Under the MPs' rules a Resettlement Grant is available for all Members who fail to be re-elected or who do not stand at a General Election.
The amount MPs receive depends on how old they are and how long they have served in the House of Commons.
They also receive funds to pay for winding up their offices and staff contracts. Last man standing – for the moment
THE Conservative Prospective Parliamentary Candidate Andrew Bingham was surprised at Mr Levitt's decision to stand down at the next election.
High Peak Councillor Bingham, briefly at least, is the last man standing in terms of prospective candidate following Mr Levitt's decision and the resignation of the Lib Dem's Stephen Sharp, who was recently convicted of fraud.
"In Tom's favour, both he and I have always tried to conduct our political debate in a reasonable and dignified manner. However I have been disappointed recently over his erroneous comments regarding the Council's strategic alliance with Staffordshire Moorlands.
"I have been the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for the High Peak for over six years, almost half of Tom's time as the MP. In the last few months, which Tom himself describes as 'torrid', recently he has been criticised heavily over his expense claims for things such as hair dryers, wreaths, kitchens etc. so I am sure this must have played a part in his decision."
Mr Bingham said: "The choice will also be between a locally-born Conservative Candidate with an exhaustive knowledge of the constituency who has been working for local residents as a Parliamentary Candidate since 2003, or someone, who through circumstances has been thrust into the role with just a few months to go to a General Election."
Cllr Bingham said: "Following the resignation of the LibDem candidate and now the withdrawal of Mr Levitt from the Election, I am presently the only Prospective Parliamentary Candidate from any of the major Parties.
"I am sure that both Labour and the Liberal Democrats will select new candidates eventually, but in the meantime I will continue to work hard to do everything I can for all the residents across the High Peak."
Praise for hard work for area
Chairman of High Peak Constituency Labour Party Alan Barrow said: "I am sorry to hear the decision Tom has made. It has been his decision alone, with no pressure from the constituency party.
"Tom is a very hardworking MP for the people of High Peak and in his active support for various good causes. Many people have told us that they respect him as a good, honest constituency MP.
"I wish Tom and Teresa all the best for their future."
Caitlin Bisknell, Leader of the Labour Group on High Peak Borough Council, said: "I have known Tom since the mid 1990s, when I asked to join his team in the run-up to the 19997 general election to run Labour's press campaign in High Peak. They were exciting times and I have many memories of late nights and early mornings discussing our plans for the campaign.
"Tom has always been a hardworking constituency MP – you just need to ask any one of the thousands of constituents he has helped over the past 12 years. No problem has ever been too small or too big for Tom to take up.
"One of the first things he did when elected was to set up his rota of surgeries, which has run ever since, in all corners of the constituency ensuring that he is available to meet people – individuals and groups – who have concerns.
"He has also been influential on bigger issues, the acquisition of the Devonshire Royal and its transformation into the University of Derby, which in turn has had a major impact on Buxton.
"He also worked hard both behind the scenes and in public to ensure that The Crescent development stayed on track, that Glossop's bid for 2million Liveability funding was successful and has consistently backed the Tintwistle-Mottram bypass.
"More recently we have worked together to raise questions about High Peak Borough Council's merger with Staffordshire Moorlands.
"The last few months have not been easy for Tom or his family, and I like many others was surprised by his decision to stand down next year. I know that he will continue to work as hard as ever for his constituents until he steps down.
"Locally other political parties have clearly been wrong-footed by Tom's decision and are now left in a limbo land, not knowing who their opponent will be in next year's general election.
"High Peak Labour Party will now be seeking a new candidate and moves are already underway to agree the selection timetable as soon as possible."
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Weather for Buxton
Saturday 04 February 2012
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