Hugh Bayley announces he’s stepping down as an MP

Hugh Bayley, the MP for York Central, has announced that he will be stepping down at the next election.

Bayley has been MP for York Central (and was formerly MP for the City of York, until the constituency was divided into two before the 2010 election) for twenty two years.

He began his political career in 1980, when he was elected to be a Labour councillor in Camden. He was then nominated to be the candidate for York in 1987 – having moved to the city to work at the University of York – but wasn’t elected as an MP until 1992.

While an MP he served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Frank Dobson when he was Secretary of State for Health. And in 1998 he became Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Social Security until 2001.

With a Bphil in Southern African Studies – and previously an active member of the Anti-Apartheid Movement – Bayley  founded the Africa All Party Parliamentary Group and was its Chair for many years, before becoming Vice Chair.

Bayley said that it has been a “tremendous” privilege to be an MP for York but that while his family have been “tremendously supportive, and very tolerant about me working long hours, often seven days a week…now I want to put them first.”

Ed Miliband thanked Bayley for his contribution to politics, reflecting upon his lengthy career:

“Hugh has been a fantastic Member of Parliament, serving the people of York for over 22 years, and serving as a government minister in the newly elected Labour government as social security minister.

“Parliament will miss his integrity and will be the weaker for the loss of his expertise on international development and international relations.

“I wish Hugh and his family all the best for the future and on behalf of the Labour Party I would like to thank him for his tireless dedication to social justice.”