Exit stage left

By Liam Murphy on Jan 25, 10 02:03 PM

IT seems most people - including us in the media - were taken by surprise by the announcement last Friday that Wirral West MP Stephen Hesford was planning to stand down at the next election - not least his local party members.

My colleague David Bartlett has blogged suggesting Mr Hesford - who cited family reasons for his decision - may have jumped before he was pushed (by the voters). Pretty much everyone who has taken an interest in these things knows there is no love lost between Stephen Hesford and Esther McVey.

Having written the story up for today's Daily Post I spent many hours last night trying various numbers for the MP without success (my apologies to whoever it was who so patiently answered the phone) and even this morning the mobile number I used to be able to contact Mr Hesford on remained switched off. His office - which did not seem to be answering the phone for a long while this morning - eventually said Stephen Hesford was "travelling" and could not be contacted. I was also told there is no further comment on his decision, that he was stepping down for family reasons.

Mr Hesford, who has been MP since 1997 (the previous incumbent was former Conservative minister David Hunt, now Lord Hunt of Wirral) narrowly defeated Conservative challenger Esther McVey in 2005, with a majority of 1,097 on a turnout of 67%, though recent boundary changes would seem to give the Conservatives a slight advantage next time around.

Mr Hesford has been a tenacious campaigner for the constituency and it would appear that even as late as last week he was sending out letters asking voters in Wirral West for their opinions.

Brian Kenny, until a couple of months ago chairman of the Wirral West Labour Party, admitted he was surprised when Mr Hesford told the meeting of the constituency party on Friday evening he was standing down. He said they had agreed not to make any futher comment - other than the statement released on Friday - but said they would now be seeking a new candidate for the seat over the next few weeks.

Judging by the latest indiscretions about the probable election date they will have to hurry. Cllr Kenny himself admitted they were currently expecting an election on May 6, to coincide with the local council elections, and Esther McVey, who has been campaigning hard in the constituency since missing out in 2005, now seems to have a significant headstart.

David Kirwan, who is standing in the constituency as an independent, said he believed Mr Hesford's decision had thrown the race for Wirral West "wide open".

Esther McVey said she planned to continue her campaigning and that she expected 2010 to be a "monumental election". Cllr Chris Blakeley, who was Ms McVey's agent in 2005, said he "never thought Stephen Hesford would walk away from a fight."

Cllr Blakeley said: "I have to say - to his credit - in 2005 he never stopped working, and was out on the doorstep non-stop."