Miliband praises Shaun Woodward as former Cabinet Minister (and Tory) announces he’s stepping down

Shaun Woodward, the former Northern Ireland Secretary perhaps best known for defecting from the Tories to Labour in 1999, has announced that he’ll be stepping down from his St Helens South and Whiston seat in 2015 to focus on his human rights work. Ed Miliband has praised him, saying:

“In 1999, you made an incredibly hard decision to cross the floor of the House and join the Labour party. It took personal courage and political commitment, and our party will forever be grateful to you.

“Thank you for your steadfast loyalty to the party. You have been a great believer in One Nation throughout your career and I am delighted we can count on you as we fight to ensure that it is a One Nation Labour government which serves the country from 2015.”

According to the Guardian, “Woodward wrote to Miliband that he defected to Labour because it championed social justice and aspiration “not as a choice but as a single proposition”.” He was never going to be loved in the Labour Party – it’s doubtful that anyone has served as a Tory MP and senior staffer ever will – but over his time in the PLP he did come to be respected, and that’s no mean feat.