It is yet to be confirmed, but authoritative sources tell me thatIt has now been confirmed that John Horam will stand down as MP for Orpington at the general election.
He is one of those rare political animals who has sat for three different parties in the Commons, as Labour MP for Gateshead West from 1970 to 1981; as SDP MP for that seat between 1981 and 1983; and as Conservative MP for Orpington since 1992.
He served as a junior minister in the governments of both James Callaghan and John Major.
In Orpington, he will bequeath a notional Conservative to his successor of 5,221 over the Liberal Democrats, having seen off the threat they had posed when his margin of victory in 2001 was a mere 269 votes. In fact, the Liberal Democrat candidate at the last four general elections has now made way for a new candidate.
The constituency falls within the London Borough of Bromley in the south east corner of Greater London, in what is spiritually still viewed by many locals as Kent.
Monday update: Mr Horam gave the following statement to News Shopper:
“It has been a great honour and pleasure representing Orpington, but I will have done the job for 18 years by the next election. It is time for someone else to take over... I will miss meeting people from all walks of life, and I will miss the friends that you make in the job. It is an exciting period for the Conservatives but sometimes you have to think about your party and not yourself. It is a good time for someone new to represent the party in Orpington. It will seem strange watching the next general election and not actually taking part.”
Jonathan Isaby