Andrew Gwynne Confirms He is Stepping Down as MP – Guido Fawkes

“It has been the honour of my life to have been an elected representative for almost exactly three decades, representing my home community firstly as a Denton West Councillor on Tameside Council and then in the House of Commons as MP for Denton & Reddish and more recently for Gorton & Denton.

Over those years I haven’t got everything right and I’ve certainly made mistakes, but I’ve always tried my very best and I have helped tens of thousands of constituents with their issues along the way. Indeed it’s been helping people that’s given me the greatest pleasure in these jobs.

I will forever be proud to have campaigned successfully to save our open spaces at Kingswater, Reddish Vale, Haughton Dale and at Bredbury Parkway at those times when they’ve been under threat. I’m proud to have helped to secure the Wellness Centre for Denton, a new NHS Community Diagnostics Centre at Crown Point, the rebuild of Russell Scott primary school, £17m for Denton Town Centre, £20m for Gorton South, and the realistic prospect of Tram-Train services serving Denton station.

And my successful Private Members’ Bill, the Debt Relief (Developing Countries) Act 2010 has prevented financial ‘vulture funds’ from praying on the historic debts of some of the world’s poorest indebted countries, ensuring that money can be spent on education, health and infrastructure.

These are hopefully lasting achievements that didn’t happen by accident. I have always sought to be a real champion for the areas I’ve represented.

I’ve fought and won 9 elections (3 local, 6 General) and I thank those of you who supported me in each of those elections.

But I have also suffered significant ill-health over most of the 21 years I’ve served as MP, and this has been greatly exacerbated by the impact of last year’s events regarding leaked text messages. To those I upset, offended or angered, I sincerely and humbly apologise – they are not who I am – and to those who stuck with me and supported me though some of the most difficult mental health challenges of my life, I will be forever grateful to you. You probably saved my life at its lowest point.

I will conclude with professional health advice from my GP to the Commons authorities which I want to share so hopefully it provides a degree of context because this is health advice I cannot afford to ignore:

“Despite the treatment and support he has received since February, I worry that there is still a marked dissociation between the reality of his difficulties and the ‘front’ that he shows to the world. He remains on very high dose medication. Based on my knowledge of him over the past ten years, and thirty years as a GP with an interest in mental health, I do not think it likely that he will be able to return to his previous ‘normal’. From the pattern of his illness since 2014 and the records we have since 2010, I think that he will remain extremely vulnerable and further stress will cause rapid deterioration as it did in February. I do not think that he will be able safely to return to work as an MP.“

I have therefore applied to the Chancellor of the Exchequer to seek the office of Crown Steward of the Manor of Northstead, an archaic procedure to be able to vacate my seat as an MP. There will be a by-election soon and I wish my successor, whoever it is, all the very best in representing what I consider to be the best constituency in the UK.

I wish all my friends in the Gorton & Denton Constituency Labour Party, the PLP and right across the House, well; and I wish the Labour government every success in meeting our country’s challenges head-on and providing the real change the people of Britain voted for in 2024.

I won’t be making any further statements. All I ask now is that I am now left in peace to be able to start the long process of getting well again, and to spend precious time with my family.

And from me: Thank you once again. The end.”