The party has just issued the following press release …
Liberal Democrat MP David Howarth today announced that he would be standing down from Parliament at the next election to concentrate on his career as an academic.
David Howarth 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.
“I would like to thank the very large number of people who have helped me in politics over the past two decades, and especially those who have worked for me during my time in the Commons.
“I will continue enthusiastically to support the Liberal Democrats and Nick Clegg and I wish the party all success in the future. I also look forward to continuing to play a role in the party’s policy making process.”
Commenting, Liberal Democrat Leader Nick 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. The Liberal Democrats have benefited greatly from the powerful lead in Parliament he gave on a number of touchstone liberal issues such as climate change and the right to protest.
“As the leader of Cambridge City Council and a key member of our Federal Policy Committee before being elected an MP David has a long history of helping to shape the party’s policy making.
“I wish him every success in his career in academia. Academia’s gain is very much politics’ loss.”
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13 Comments
So sad to lose a great MP.
A massive loss to the parliamentary party.
Parliament will be so much poorer without his vast intellect, his uncompromising liberalism, or his extraordinary integrity.
During the 2005 election, a friend said that if David got elected, they thought he’d actually turn out to be one of our best MPs. And so he has been.
Terrible last sentence….
A real shame – David has been an absolute star. I think his integrity and intellect does more for us in Parliament than it has done when the both of us have been involved in policymaking.
It’s very sad for us to hear of David’s departure too. He has been a fantastic MP, ably standing up for our core liberal values against both the Labour government and the Tories. I wish him all the best for his academic career; I’m sure Cambridge University is secretly rather pleased that he will be able to devote more time to scholarship!
This is a proper shame. One of the stars of BBC Parliament!
I am very sorry to hear that David will not be re-standing. He has been a stalwart defender of liberty and freedom, and not afraid to take on the establishment over the creeping erosion of our civil liberties. He will be missed.
Very sad tpo hear we’ll be losing David after such a short time as an MP.
I wonder if he found that being an MP gave him less real influence over peopl’s’ lives that he had leading the Council in Cambridge?
David, Many thanks for your splendid time as M.P. for Cambridge. Really sad that you are standing down.
I met David a couple of times, as a student in Cambridge for 3 years. He was always intelligent, up for a chat, and fully on top of whatever was going on. He will be much missed. Who will speak up in parliament for the right to peaceful protest now?
It was a pleasure to do my (very small) bit for David’s election in my role as Chair of CSLD, and I am pleased to say that I have never campaigned for someone who I felt surer would elevate our parliamentary discourse. I am very sorry to see him step down, but Cambridge’s law faculty will be the richer for it.
Liberal Vision has posted an anonymous tribute to David that is well worth reading: http://www.liberal-vision.org/2009/11/09/anonymous-dedication-to-david-howarth/
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