Following last week's election defeat, Theresa Villiers, former MP for Chipping Barnet, has issued the following statement: "It has been the greatest honour of my life to serve the people of Chipping Barnet as your Member of Parliament. Barnet is a special place and I have always fought to keep it that way.
I congratulate Dan Tomlinson on becoming the new MP and wish him well for the future.
While I am sad to be leaving this role I have undertaken for nearly two decades, I do so knowing that I worked as hard as I possibly could on the issues that matter to us here in Barnet such as more GP appointments, more apprenticeships, more money for schools, better NHS facilities, more police, saving our local police station, fighting overdevelopment, and opposing Ulez expansion.
Protecting nature and our natural environment has been one of the defining goals of my time in elected office. From taking forward the landmark Environment Act at national level, to fighting to save our green spaces at local level, I hope I have made a difference and leave a positive legacy from my years in Parliament.
And whilst I will be gone from the political front line, I am sure the residents of this great place will continue to fight vigorously against tower blocks from Sadiq Khan and they will campaign to save the green belt from Labour’s plan to build on it.
I’ve celebrated Barnet’s diversity by forming strong friendships with a wide range of groups with different faiths and heritages, supporting their causes, including freedom for Cyprus, justice for Tamils in Sri Lanka, democratic change in Iran, getting a fair hearing for India and Israel, and fighting against racism, antisemitism and anti-Hindu hatred.
I’ve pushed for kinder, more compassionate, treatment of animals and it is a source of pride to me that one of the last new laws approved by Parliament before the election was the ban on the export of live animals for slaughter for which I have campaigned since around 1999 when I was elected as an MEP.
I also very much welcomed the chance to play a role in the inspiring story of Northern Ireland’s peace process when I served as Secretary of State for nearly four years. I chaired five months of talks to secure two key cross-party agreements which prevented the collapse of the institutions founded by the Belfast Good Friday Agreement, securing the longest period of unbroken devolved government since the 70s.
And looking back to my time as Transport Minister I played my part in delivering that wonderful 2012 Olympics, I safeguarded the vital tube upgrade plans through the austerity period, and I fended off demands to build a third runway at Heathrow which I continue to believe would harm the quality of life of millions of people.
I thank my agent, Rachel Shawcross, my campaign manager Kevin Ghateh, and my local Conservative Party chairman, Richard Cornelius, who worked phenomenally hard throughout the very long election campaign.
I would also like to thank each and every one of the big team of volunteer Conservative helpers who came out with me day after day on the campaign trail. You kept me going during the gruelling test of resilience and fortitude that this election has involved. I am deeply grateful to all of you for your commitment, enthusiasm, and support.
Thank you to my friends and family for always being there for me, throughout the near quarter century during which I have held elected office. Thank you to all of you who have voted for me or supported me during these turbulent years. It’s been great!"
Theresa was MP for Chipping Barnet for 19 years after being first elected in 2005, making her one of the longest serving women Conservative MPs. She was a member of the Cabinet during the administrations of both David Cameron and Boris Johnson. Before entering the House of Commons, she represented London as one of its MEPs for six years. So last week's general election result marked the end of 25 years in elected office.
Digital imprint: Promoted by Theresa Villiers of 163 High Street, Barnet, EN5 5SU.
