CAMPAIGNING Labour MP Ann Cryer last night announced she would step down from Parliament at the next election.
She was elected MP for Keighley in the Labour landslide of 1997 and has campaigned on issues including forced marriage, domestic violence and improving the rights of women. She also opposed the war in Iraq.
She broke the news to Labour Party membe
rs at a meeting in her constituency last night.
The 68-year-old, pictured right, said: "For many reasons, mainly concerning my age, health and decreasing energy levels, I have taken the decision to stand down as MP for Keighley at the next General Election.
"My campaigns on behalf of some of our most vulnerable people are coming to fruition, the Forced Marriage Act comes into effect in September.
"This Act, along with new immigration rules I have been calling for, will help many young women, and to a lesser extent, men, to have a greater say in the conduct of their own lives. I would like to thank people of my constituency, who it has been an absolute privilege to represent for 11 years in Parliament."
The plain-speaking MP risked criticism from some in the Asian community over views which included a warning that poverty is being imported from the sub-continent because many spouses find difficulty getting work without speaking English.
In a warm tribute, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said her "ceaseless campaigning" had led to a number of changes in the law. "For over 20 years Ann has been battling for Keighley – fighting its corner, articulating its needs, representing its best hopes," he said.
Mrs Cryer became an MP following the death of her first husband Bob in a car accident. He held the Keighley seat and then the Bradford South seat prior to his death in 1994.
She lost her second husband, the Rev John Hammersley, to cancer in November 2004.
The full article contains 325 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
