Options
John Randall MP standing down
Multimedia81
Posts: 83,405 Forum Member
✭✭✭
As you may know, John Randall, MP for Uxbridge, has just announced that he is standing down as an MP at next year's General Election. He has been an MP since a by-election in 1997, called because his predecessor died just a week after that year's General Election. I remember him in his victory speech being quite humble at having won, as he knew the Conservatives' fortune were still at a low point.
Now that he is standing down, this could be a good seat for Boris Johnson to apply to be their PPC. Then, if John has plenty of time on his hands, he could seek the Conservative nomination for London Mayor, thus eventually swapping jobs with Boris! In practice this is unlikely to happen though, as London seems tipped to elect a Labour Mayor again in 2016.
Now that he is standing down, this could be a good seat for Boris Johnson to apply to be their PPC. Then, if John has plenty of time on his hands, he could seek the Conservative nomination for London Mayor, thus eventually swapping jobs with Boris! In practice this is unlikely to happen though, as London seems tipped to elect a Labour Mayor again in 2016.
0
Comments
Sir George Young is also standing down in 2015. His north hampshire seat is very safe and in an affluent area not too dissimilar to Boris' old seat at Henley. If anywhere: That's where I'd have expected him to go if he were standing in 2015.
That's not Boris' plan. He'll see out his time as London Mayor. Then when the Conservatives are in opposition or in danger of becoming the opposition he'll put himself forward as the saviour of the party.
Plus there's the A40, so he could nip up and down it between home and constituency, thus saving on all those expenses for a second home.
Uxbridge is a pretty safe Conservative seat and yes, geographically it would suit Boris.
It may be an opportunity for Labour to float one of their Red Princes into if the majority is sub 2000.