Former Conservative MP Mark Logan has said he is backing Labour at the upcoming general election.
Logan won his Bolton North East seat with a majority of just 378 in 2019, making it one of the most marginal in the country.
In a statement posted on X/Twitter, Logan said that Labour “is back”, going as far as to quote New Labour’s 1997 election anthem.
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Read Logan’s statement in full below:
“Things can only get better”, by a Northern Irish band, represented the optimism of the incoming Labour government of 1997.
Labour is back, and given how things have been, I believe things can only get better.
1am very proud to have represented Bolton North East since December 2019 – a mere number of weeks before the Covid pandemic hit our nation.
At home in Bolton, we have come through the pandemic and struggled with dire economic conditions: especially inflation.
Abroad we have felt the painful effects of the suffering exacted on the people of Ukraine, and more recently the Hamas terrorist attacks and the ongoing tragedy we see unravelling before our eyes in Gaza. I have consistently lobbied the UK government to ensure we are doing all we can to protect Palestinians. An immediate cessation of all military attacks must ensue, and Palestine must be recognised as a country in its own right, as part of a process that guarantees a safe and secure Israel.
I am mindful that along with hardworking local partners, and in a short time, I’ve been able to secure investment for the Bolton Institute of Medical Sciences, and significant investment to help with the badly needed regeneration of Bolton town centre.
And we all know that Bolton, one of the biggest towns in the UK, needs to be on the Metrolink.
I pray our next elected MP and government will realise this ambition.
However, after much soul-searching throughout my first term in parliament, brought to a head with the calling of a snap election last week, I have concluded that we need a new government and I believe the UK will be best served with that government being a Labour government.
We need renewed enthusiasm and optimism in both tone and in policy, and I believe that we are already seeing this through Keir Starmer and the team.
I am resigning from the Conservative Party with immediate effect. Regrettably, I will therefore not contest our constituency at the upcoming General Election.
This is not an easy decision as many people have been rooting for me since being elected.
I pay particular thanks to my team in Bolton and Westminster who have worked hard to deal with record levels of cases and issues these 4.5 years. I am grateful to the councillors and officials who continue to approach politics with positive intent. I thank every Boltonian for being so open and honest when we’ve talked throughout my time as your MP. I’ve learnt more in these four-plus years than in all of my forty years prior. This is a proud town, with a rich and truly world-impacting history, and I believe people should continue to fight for what the town deserves. The future can be very bright. Thank you for electing me and giving a boy from a similarly ignored part of the UK a chance to represent you in the House of Commons. I am eternally grateful to my family and friends who have been with me on this journey.
The first time I voted, I voted for Labour. The next time I vote it will be a vote for Labour.
With sincere gratitude and optimism for the future,
Mark Logan
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