The former prospective parliamentary candidate for the Liberal Democrats has announced she will not stand for the party again in Harrogate and Knaresborough.
Judith Rogerson, who won 20,287 votes to Conservative Andrew Jones‘s 29,962 in 2019, said she had been asked by “lots of people” whether she would make a second bid to be elected.
However, posting on Twitter this morning, she said:
“Lots of things have changed for me in the past 18 months. Last year I had to step back from politics after I needed major surgery for cancer.
“Happily I am fully recovered and 2022 has been much kinder with a wedding and, in the autumn, a new member of our family.
“As much as I would like to carry on as H&K’s PPC, I’ve had to recognise that it won’t be possible for me to give that important role the time and dedication it needs this time round.”
The local Liberal Democrat party said a selection process has begun to select a new PPC, decided by a vote of its members in the constituency.
The chosen candidate is expected to be announced by the end of the summer.
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Ms Rogerson added:
“I loved my time as H&K’s candidate and am proud of everything we achieved.
“We built up a strong team of campaigners, won some excellent council by-election victories and halved the Tory majority in 2019.
“Most recently the Lib Dems became the biggest council group within the constituency.
“Whoever is the candidate next time will be starting from a strong position and I will be supporting them all the way.”
In response to Ms Rogerson’s announcement, David Goode, constituency chairman for the Harrogate and Knaresborough Lib Dems, said:
“After some tough times, the Harrogate and Knaresborough Lib Dem family are so pleased to see her happy and healthy and we thank her for all the hard work she invested in this constituency.
“Being a PPC takes up a huge amount of time and we fully support Judith’s decision to prioritise her family life. We wish her well for the exciting times ahead!
“We know our new PPC will continue to build on Judith’s achievements, as we continue to build momentum towards the next election…
“The local election results clearly showed that voters in Harrogate and Knaresborough have had enough of this government, with voters putting Boris’s Conservatives on notice.
“The Lib Dems will be campaigning for a win at the next general election, be that in the autumn, 2023 or early 2024.”
The Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency has been represented by Mr Jones since 2010, when he won the seat from retiring Lib Dem MP Phil Willis, who had previously had a majority of more than 10,000.
Then, the Conservative majority was just 1,039 over Claire Kelley of the Lib Dems. In 2015 and 2017, Mr Jones increased this to more than 16,000 and 18,000 respectively.
None of the other parties have confirmed who will represent them in any upcoming election. A date has yet to be set, but it will have to be held by December 2024 in line with the maximum five-year parliamentary term.
