It is with sadness that I post the news that the Liberal Democrat MP for Cambridge, David Howarth, has decided not to defend his seat at the forthcoming General Election.

I have known David since I arrived in Cambridge in 1992, he was my Group Leader on the City Council for ten years, and always an inspiration. He will be a loss to Parliament.

 Liberal Democrat MP David Howarth announced yesterday that he will be standing down from Parliament at the next election to concentrate on his career as an academic.

David Howarth said: “After nearly 22 years of elected public office, the time has come for me to concentrate on my other life, as an academic. It has been a privilege to serve the people of Cambridge over that time, both in local government and in parliament.

“I would like to thank the very large number of people who have helped me in politics over the past two decades, and especially those who have worked for me during my time in the Commons.

“I will continue enthusiastically to support the Liberal Democrats and Nick Clegg and I wish the party all success in the future. I also look forward to continuing to play a role in the party’s policy-making process.”

Nick Clegg said: “David will be sorely missed. His colleagues here in Westminster – across all parties – recognise him as a politician of huge integrity and intellectual ability. The Liberal Democrats have benefited greatly from the powerful lead in parliament he gave on a number of touchstone liberal issues such as climate change and the right to protest.

“As the leader of Cambridge City Council and a key member of our Federal Policy Committee before being elected an MP, David has a long history of helping to shape the party’s policy making.

“I wish him every success in his career in academia. Academia’s gain is very much politics’ loss.”

Mr Howarth has reassured his Cambridge constituents that he will continue to serve them and hold surgeries until the general election.

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