Chris Grayling MP for Epsom & Ewell has decided to step down at the next General Election. In a message to members of the Epsom and Ewell Conservative Association, he wrote
“I am writing to let you know that I told the Conservative Association AGM on Wednesday that I would not be standing again for Parliament at the next election. Earlier this year I was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and although the treatment has been successful, it has prompted me to think that after 22 years it is time for a change. The Association will now move ahead and select my successor as Conservative candidate.
I am very grateful to you for the support I have been given by you all over the years. I will obviously carry on working as normal until the election and will hope to see you at one of the upcoming events.
With best wishes
Chris”
Chris was first elected to parliament as MP for Epsom and Ewell in 2001. As an MP, he was Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in 2007, and in 2009 he was appointed Shadow Home Secretary.
In 2010 Chris was made Minister of State for Employment. In September 2012, he was appointed to the Cabinet as Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice and served until 2015. He was the first non-lawyer to have served as Lord Chancellor for at least 440 years.
He was Leader of the House of Commons and the Lord President of the Council from 2015 to 2016. In the majority and minority May governments, Chris served as Secretary of State for Transport.
Chris stood down from the Cabinet when Boris Johnson became Prime Minister in July 2019.
Love him or hate him he has done a lot of good for community groups in the area with a lot of his work happening behind the scenes helping groups to to cut down on the red tape or making sure the community groups speak to the right people. Recent years organising events to help charities get more volunteers and in 2021 led a campaign in parliament for hedgehog nesting sites to get the same protections as those for bats and badgers, in an effort to boost numbers.
His yearly drinks for local charities or community groups at parliament are always well attended. As a surprise for myself, while I was the vice-chair of the Emily Davison Project, he arrange for me to visit the broom cupboard were Emily stayed overnight in parliament on the night of the 1911 census.
Everyone at What’s On and myself would like to wish him all the best for the future.