WOKINGHAM’S current MP has confirmed to The Wokingham Paper that he intends to stand for Parliament in the forthcoming general election.
Assuming that the dissolution of Parliament is voted on by MPs and agreed by the Queen, John Redwood expects to have his name on the ballot papers for the Conservatives.
He was first elected to Wokingham in 1987 and has served in a number of cabinet roles, notably Secretary of State for Wales.
A Eurosceptic, he campaigned hard for Vote Leave although Wokingham borough voted to remain in the EU during last year’s referendum.
Mr Redwood told The Wokingham Paper: “It is my intention to stand in the General Election on June 8.”
Earlier today he made a blog post welcoming the news that fellow local MP Theresa May is planning the vote.
He said: “The pound has risen against both the dollar and the Euro on news that Mrs May is seeking a new mandate to implement Brexit. The cost of government borrowing has also fallen, with bond prices rising.
“I look forward to the election, and assume Labour will also be running on a platform of wanting to make a success of Brexit.”
The Liberal Democrats confirmed candidate Clive Jones last year, while it is expected Andy Croy – who came second for Labour in 2015 – will stand again.
Both UKIP and the Green party have yet to confirm if they will stand. In 2015, Kaz Lokuciewski stood as an independent.