Long-standing MP to step down at next general election

Sir Robert GoodwillImage source, UK Parliament
Image caption,

Sir Robert Goodwill served as a minister under both David Cameron and Theresa May

At a glance

  • Sir Robert Goodwill has confirmed he will not stand again at the next general election

  • The Conservative MP has represented Scarborough and Whitby since 2005 and had a majority of over 10,000 in 2019

  • He served as a minister in both David Cameron and Theresa May's governments

  • He is currently the chairman of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee

  • Published

The Conservative MP for Scarborough and Whitby has confirmed he will not stand at the next general election.

Sir Robert Goodwill, 66, has held the seat for 18 years since winning it from Labour in the 2005 election.

He served as a minister under David Cameron and Theresa May and is chairman of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee.

His decision to step down was due to his age and family interests, the Scarborough News reported., external

He said he did not want "to go on too long", the newspaper added.

Sir Robert was born in North Yorkshire and educated in York before attending the University of Newcastle, where he completed a degree in agriculture.

He runs the family's 250-acre farm at Terrington, near Malton.

Prior to becoming an MP, he was a Member of the European Parliament for Yorkshire and the Humber between 1999 and 2004.

After being elected to Parliament in 2005, he served as an opposition whip and later as shadow transport minister.

Following the 2010 election, he was appointed as a treasury whip and later served as a minister in several government departments until 2019.

At the 2019 general election his majority was 10,270.

Sir Robert was awarded a knighthood in the 2022 New Year Honours list for services to politics and public service.

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