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Wirral West Labour MP, Margaret Greenwood has issued a statement saying that she will not stand at the next General Election.
Greenwood, a former teacher and dedicated community activist, played a crucial role as a founding member of ‘Defend our NHS’.
During the 2015 general election, Greenwood was selected as the chosen candidate for the Wirral West constituency. Engaging in a high-profile campaign, she managed to secure a close victory over Esther McVey, a prominent Conservative cabinet minister.
In March 2018, Greenwood assumed the role of Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, taking over on a temporary basis from Debbie Abrahams. Her tenure as the interim Shadow DWP Secretary became permanent when she was officially appointed in May 2018.
In November 2018, Greenwood raised significant concern regarding the consequences of poverty and austerity. She emphasized the importance of the government attentively listening to the individuals who were being adversely affected by its policies. Expressing her concerns, she highlighted the substantial failures of universal credit, resulting in families burdened with debt, rental arrears, and the looming threat of homelessness.
Greenwood further emphasized the distressing fact that despite residing in working households, three million children were still subjected to the harsh realities of poverty. In the same year, she voiced her disquiet over the alarming trend where the number of individuals in working poverty was escalating at a faster pace than employment itself.
Following Keir Starmer’s election as Leader of the Labour Party on 6 April 2020, Greenwood was succeeded as Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions by Jonathan Reynolds. She then assumed the role of Shadow Minister for Schools.
However, on 15 October 2020, she made the decision to resign as Shadow Minister for Schools. This action was prompted by her intention to vote against the Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Bill, which sought to grant certain undercover police officers and government officials the authority to engage in criminal activities.
Despite the Labour Party’s decision to instruct MPs to abstain from voting, Greenwood chose to voice her dissent by stepping down from her position.
More recently she has been a greenbelt advocate, voicing concerns over the proposed development of greenbelt land in Wirral by Levehulme Estates.
Margaret Greenwood MP, said, “After a great deal of thought, I have decided that I will not put myself forward to stand to be a Member of Parliament at the next general election.
“It has been a great honour and a privilege to serve the people of Wirral West as their Member of Parliament since May 2015. I am grateful for all the support that I have received, both from the local community and from Labour Party members.
“I will continue to work on behalf of Wirral West residents up until the next general election.”
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