Dr Kieran Mullan formally notified the Crewe & Nantwich Conservative Association this afternoon, of his decision to stand down at the next General Election.
Kieran, who won the seat from Labour in 2019 with a majority of 8,509 votes explained;
“I want to share some news about the next election. I won't be standing in Crewe & Nantwich. This has been a big decision for me to take. There has been so much I have enjoyed about being an MP. You have opportunities to help individuals and groups and make a difference. I am really proud of even just the small moments when you can give thanks to someone who has achieved something locally or give a helping hand. I have made lasting change through things like funding for Leighton Hospital and securing a Town Deal for Crewe. My team and I have helped thousands of individual constituents. Thank you to them and countless other people I have worked with to achieve things. We have had lots of work experiences students and I have met hundreds of local school pupils to inspire their aspirations. Of course despite the wins there has also been difficult dissappointments as well like the GBR HQ and HS2.
I've also learnt that in a swing seat like Crewe and Nantwich, modern politics means there is an almost 24/7 focus on the press and social media, where re-election depends too much on telling everyone what you have achieved or correcting misinformation rather than just getting the job done. This never came naturally to me. As a doctor, the job is the job and you just have to get on with it. My decision to go into politics has always been driven by wanting to get things done.
Two things have happened recently that have brought me to this decision after expecting I would be staying.
Firstly, the boundary changes mean a huge difference to the seat I applied for, making it even more of a swing seat in the long term. Which comes with even more of the relentless party political campaigning.
Secondly, changes in my personal life make the associated uncertainty that comes with that even more difficult. It isn't just me I have to think about.
I know Labour and others will try and make political capital out of this. That is just the job of the opposition. I would just gently remind everyone that Gwyneth Dunwoody was the MP for Exeter before she became MP for Crewe and Nantwich. They didn't complain about that. So take it all with a pinch of salt. This is the job. This is politics.
And politics is still for me in many ways. The ability to argue for what you believe in, to empower and help amazing people, to try and unpick problems and countless other positive impacts. But in the long term it will need to be in a different form for me than as the MP for Crewe and Nantwich.
I wish every success to whomever succeeds me. There is a lot that has started that needs finishing and so much potential still to be capitalised on. I am confident Crewe & Nantwich Conservatives will pick a candidate who understands that. I will be forever grateful for the support they have given me.
Then you will have a choice. Never let anyone take your votes for granted. Don't believe people who pretend there are easy answers and it could all be fixed if someone else did something at no cost to you. And always ask as much of yourself as you do of your government and politicians. They can never fix all of our shared challenges--thats something we can only do together.”
The Crewe and Nantwich Conservative Association would like to thank Kieran for his exemplary service to the people of Crewe & Nantwich and sincerely offer him all best wishes in his future endeavours.
