Labour Brexiteer Kate Hoey who thought of standing for Brexit Party steps down

Kate hoey gave her final speech in parliament on Tuesday afternoon. Photo: Parliamentlive - Credit: Archant

The prominent Labour Brexiteer Kate Hoey has put an end to rumours that she will stand for the Brexit Party by announcing she will not seek re-election.

The MP for Vauxhall had announced she was standing down as a Labour MP in June, but had previously refused to rule out that she might run for Nigel Farage’s party.

Hoey has been an outspoken supporter of Brexit, campaigning alongside Farage in the 2016 referendum, despite the fact her south London constituency is overwhelmingly pro-Remain – 77.6% of those who voted in the borough wanted to stay in the EU.

In July the Brexiteer had said she would stand down from her position as an MP for Labour before the 2020 election, although in both September and October she did not dismiss running for the Brexit Party.

Hoey told talkRADIO in September that she “didn’t want to leave parliament until we’re out of the EU”.

Speaking then Hoey said: “Certainly I wouldn’t be standing as a Labour candidate but I would consider something else perhaps.”

In October Hoey also said she would “never say never” to running as a Brexit Party candidate, however in her final speech today Hoey implied an end to her career.

She said: “I won’t miss many of my party political activists I have to say, but I will miss my constituents and my community organisers and the people who wanted to work with me to make Vauxhall a better place.

“The one thing I said when I came in here – that my country will always come before my party – and it still does.”

“I came in in a by-election in 1989, it’s very different being an MP when you’re five minutes from your constituency.

“Coming in then was very, very different. Some of the changes with the so called modernisation doesn’t necessarily change the standard of debate or the way some people behave.

“I just want to say a couple of very important thank you’s really, this place is made up of people who work so hard for all of us and very often don’t get the thanks and the tributes.

“Really I wanted to thank all my own personal staff – I mustn’t get emotional really. I want to thank all my constituents who have sent me such wonderful letters.”