Labour MP Rosie Cooper has announced she is standing down from her seat in the House of Commons. It means Prime Minister Liz Truss will be facing her first by-election test.
The MP for West Lancashire said she had accepted the position of chair of Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust “after a considerable period of soul-searching and reflection”. Convicted neo-Nazi Jack Renshaw, of Skelmersdale, Lancashire, is serving a life sentence for plotting to murder Ms Cooper in 2017.
Posting a statement on Twitter, Ms Cooper said: “This appointment means I am unable to continue with my other passion of representing the people of West Lancashire as their MP, being their voice and fighting their corner, as I have done since 2005. The events I have faced over the last few years are well documented and undoubtedly have taken their toll.”
It is understood a by-election is expected later in the autumn. Ms Cooper, who has held the seat for 17 years, has a current majority of just over 8,300. Labour gained the constituency from the Conservatives in 1992 and it is firmly in the Red wall which Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour will be looking to hold.
In her statement, Ms Cooper said: “It has been an incredible honour and privilege to have served the people of West Lancashire for the last 17 years. I have loved every minute, even in the most difficult times. I appreciate this will come as a surprise to many people having recently secured reselection to stand as West Lancashire’s Labour Party Candidate for the next general election. This was prior to the recruitment process for the Mersey Care position.
“This decision to apply for the role was taken after a considerable period of soul-searching and reflection. The events I have faced over the last few years are well documented and undoubtedly have taken their toll.”
She added: “The National Health Service is one of my passions. Prior to entering Parliament, I had dedicated many years of service to the NHS and have been able to serve on the Health and Social Care Committee during my time as MP. To return to the NHS as chairman of Mersey Care felt like the right opportunity at the right time. This appointment means I am unable to continue with my other passion of representing the people of West Lancashire as their MP, being their voice and fighting their corner, as I have done since 2005.”
Earlier this year, Ms Cooper, who is the child of deaf parents, saw her Private Member’s Bill, the British Sign Language (BSL) Bill giving BSL legal recognition and enhancing its use in public services, pass into law.
