Men of Influence magazine


BBC (Clockwise from left) Ann Clwyd, Albert Owen, Glyn Davies, Guto Bebb, Owen Smith, Ian LucasBBC

(Clockwise from left) Ann Clwyd, Albert Owen, Glyn Davies, Guto Bebb, Owen Smith, Ian Lucas

Brexit and personal safety have been highlighted as reasons behind Welsh MPs standing down at the general election.

Six Welsh MPs have confirmed they will not seek re-election when the UK goes to the polls on 12 December.

Three pointed to political differences over Brexit and while two raised concerns over safety.

The sixth – 82-year-old Ann Clwyd, is the longest-serving Welsh Labour MP and has spent 35 years in the House of Commons.

Conservative Guto Bebb and former Labour leadership candidate Owen Smith said they were unhappy with their party’s direction over Brexit.

Both have clashed with their respective leaders while Mr Bebb said the Conservative Party was “appealing to the type of nationalism” that saw UKIP and the Brexit Party grow.

Mr Bebb’s colleague, Montgomeryshire MP Glyn Davies, said he would be “glad to see the behind” of Brexit following the impasse.

He added: “I come down to London on a Monday, spend three of four days [doing] nothing, go round in circles, make no decisions and go back home. I want to work.”

Wrexham’s Labour MP Ian Lucas admitted he feared his remain stance – at odds with his leave-voting constituency – could cost him his majority – which is less than 2,000.

“There are certain concerns that I have and many other people have for the safety of my staff, my safety and my family’s safety,” he said.

Which MPs are standing down at the general election?

Guto Bebb in the House of Commons

Guto Bebb was elected MP for Aberconwy in May 2010

Originally a member of Plaid Cymru, co-founded by his grandfather Ambrose Bebb, he has represented the area as a Conservative MP since 2010 but has a majority of just 635.

This was in order to vote against the government on amendments it accepted to its Brexit Customs Bill.

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Ann Clwyd at Tower Colliery in 1994

Ann Clwyd went staged an underground protest to save Tower Colliery from closure in 1994

This political stalwart is the oldest woman to sit in the House of Commons having represented the south Wales valley constituency for 35 years.

She has held many political posts including shadow secretary of state for Wales, shadow secretary of state for international development and chairwoman of the Parliamentary Labour Party.

She announced she would stand down at the 2015 general election, but changed her mind and was re-elected that year, and in 2017.

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Glyn Davies MP

The Conservative MP has represented Montgomeryshire for nine years

Glyn Davies (Montgomeryshire)

He said the “current uncertainty in politics” told him it was the right time to step aside after “going round in circles” for most of this year.

Mr Davies, 75, was elected in 2010 following eight years as an AM.

He served as parliamentary private secretary, or “Commons eyes and ears”, to current Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns and one of his predecessors, Cheryl Gillan.

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Wrexham MP Ian Lucas

Ian Lucas was first elected in 2001

In a letter to colleagues, he said the job had been a “demanding responsibility”.

“I am 60 next year. I have been an MP since I was 40. I think the time is right to choose to follow a different path,” he said.

He held a junior ministerial post in Gordon Brown’s government in the department of business and had been an assistant whip.

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Albert Owen

Albert Owen was elected in 2001

He said his constituency office in Holyhead, Anglesey, had been attacked several times and “very serious” threats made during the Brexit debate.

“It’s concerning and I feel for younger and newer MPs who are coming in and having to deal with this from day one because it’s gradually got worse over time,” he said.

Elected in 2001, he held on to the seat against Plaid Cymru in 2015 by just 229 votes before securing his largest majority of 5,259 over the Conservatives in 2017.

The 60-year-old has also served on the Welsh Affairs Committee and the International Development Committee during his time as an MP.

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PA Owen Smith and Jeremy CorbynPA

Jeremy Corbyn and Owen Smith went head to head in the 2016 Labour leadership contest

He failed in his leadership bid in 2016 to topple Jeremy Corbyn, who sacked Mr Smith from the Labour frontbench after he criticised his position on Brexit.

Mr Smith was elected in 2010 and served as shadow Welsh secretary under Ed Miliband between 2012 and 2015.



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