Northern powerhouse minister confirms he will stand for election

The Northern Powerhouse minister Andrew Percy has put an end to speculation that he was preparing to step down as an MP by announcing he will seek re-selection for his Yorkshire and Lincolnshire seat.
Andrew PercyAndrew Percy
Andrew Percy

The Tory MP raised questions about his plans to stand in the forthcoming snap election, after he issued a statement urging the country to vote for a strong Tory government "whether or not" he is part of it.

Had he resigned, the move would have been a serious blow to the powerhouse agenda, following the news that its key architect, the former chancellor George Osborne, is also stepping down.

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However, the Brigg and Goole MP has since issued a fresh statement confirming he will seek re-adoption by his local Conservative branch and is confident the party can win the election.

"It is always important to take time out when 'break points' arrive in life and the decision of the PM to call a June election provided one of those," Mr Percy states.

"With boundary changes abolishing this constituency for the 2020 election, I had already informed my constituency and parliamentary staff, and our local Conservative Association Chairman that I would not therefore be seeking re-election in 2020.

"Obviously, last week changed all that but I still wanted to take time out to think about what to do for the future.

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"I've thought a lot and I have concluded to seek re-adoption by the local Conservative Association to be their candidate for the election on June 8th."

The confirmation comes as fellow Tory MP and chairman of the influential Treasury select committee, Andrew Tyrie, announced he will not run again in June.

In a statement,Mr Tyrie, who has been MP for West Sussex since 1997, said he remained "committed to public service" and hopes to contribute "in other ways in the years ahead".

"It has been an exhilarating 20 years. I have done what I can to make a contribution, particularly in efforts to improve banking standards and to shape a more trusted and resilient financial sector after the crisis of 2008," he said.

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"I have also sought to play a part in reviving Parliament's relevance, not least by making the case for select committee chairmen to be elected by their fellow MPs.

"I am confident that Theresa May will lead the Conservative Party to a decisive victory at the General Election, and will continue to give the country the strong and effective leadership that she has already shown as Prime Minister."