Three more long-serving Labour MPs in London have announced they will step down at the general election on July 4.
West Ham MP Lyn Brown became the latest London politician to announce she will not be returning to Westminster on Tuesday afternoon.
It comes after John Cryer, the MP for Leyton and Wanstead and Virendra Sharma, MP for Ealing Southall, both announced on Monday they would not defend their seats before the snap summer election.
Mrs Brown, who has represented her constituency since 2005, described the decision as a “huge wrench” but said she believed new Labour MPs are needed to tackle homelessness, child poverty and county lines exploitation in Newham, adding that personal struggles with her health were also a factor.
Mrs Brown said in a statement: “West Ham has been the largest constituency in the country for many years. Since the last election alone I’ve sent 77,000 letters on behalf of constituents and opened 41,000 pieces of new case work.
“The 14 years of Tory Government has wrecked terrible damage on so many locally... Newham has been my lifelong home. I’ve always known and loved the diversity, drive and solidarity of our communities.
“Now we need a Labour Government to to tackle the homelessness, child poverty and county lines exploitation that blight so many lives.”
The politicians joined a flurry of MPs in safe Labour seats who announced they were standing down over the bank holiday weekend.
Mr Cryer, who is Chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party, told voters that he had taken the “extremely difficult decision” to leave Westminster to spend more time with his young children.
In a statement, he described how stepping down was “perhaps the most difficult I have ever had to make”.
A Statement from me about Standing in this General Election. pic.twitter.com/PjJrld19g3
— John Cryer (@JohnCryerMP) May 27, 2024
He said: “The next parliament is likely to be extremely busy and demanding and the next government will inherit a very tough situation.
“Our constituency’s caseload is perhaps one of the heaviest with very large numbers of cases in categories such as immigration, housing and benefits.
“In the past 14 years, some of the most vulnerable people have paid a very heavy price for Tory and coalition experiments with austerity and I have seen public services attacked repeatedly while the ability of elected representatives to make a difference has been consistently curtailed. In my view deliberately.”
Mr Cryer, who was MP for Hornchurch from 1997 to 2005, is married to Labour’s deputy national campaign co-ordinator and MP for Lewisham West and Penge Ellie Reeves.
Two hours earlier Mr Sharma announced he was stepping back, explaining “now has come for another chapter to begin” after nearly 50 years in the Labour Party.
He said in a statement: “It is clear to me that the country is crying out for change and that Keir, Angela and the whole Labour Party represent the change this country needs.
“I was proud to nominate Keir for Labour leader in 2020, and the promises he made then to rebuild this party have put us on the path to power and made me proud to serve as a Labour MP.
“We swept antisemitism from the Labour Party and we have gone from our worst result in a century to the edge of Government.
“As a British-Indian and as a Hindu, as a Labour member, councillor and MP I have never struggled to reconcile those different, but complimentary identities.”
It has been the pleasure of a lifetime to represent Ealing Southall, but the time has come to step back from the Commons. I have every confidence we will see @Keir_Starmer and @UKLabour in power very soon. I have written to local members letting them know my decision. pic.twitter.com/553ozx4fVX
— Virendra Sharma MP (@VirendraSharma) May 27, 2024
Mr Cryer and Mr Sharma joined Cardiff West MP Kevin Brennan, Worsley and Eccles South MP Barbara Keeley and Warley MP John Spellar in announcing that they were standing down on Monday.
Sunderland Central MP Julie Elliott said on Tuesday that she would also not be contesting her seat on July 4.
The latest resignations mean 15 London MPs have now announced they are not standing again in the General Election.
Six Labour MPs, including veterans Harriet Harman (Camberwell & Peckham) and Margaret Hodge (Barking) will not return to Westminster.
Eight Conservative MPs will also step back, including Mike Freer who said he would not be defending his seat in Finchley & Golders Green after an arson attack on his constituency office.
Stephen Hammond (Wimbledon), Nickie Aiken (Cities of London and Westminster), and former minister for London Paul Scully (Sutton and Cheam) are among the Tory ranks in the capital who have resigned.
Across the country a record 77 Conservative MPs have so far said they will stand down before the general election, including cabinet minister Michael Gove.
