Julia Drown to stand down as MP
Julia Drown, the Labour MP for Swindon South, is to stand down at the next general election.
Since her election in 1997, Ms Drown has been at the forefront of Parliamentary campaigns to make the House of Commons more family friendly – notably leading efforts to permit breastfeeding in the Palace of Westminster.
The 41-year-old is also the current chair of the All Party Group on Maternity Services, and recently chaired the Health Select Committee’s inquiry into maternity services.
The mother of young children herself, Ms Drown stated on Monday evening that she wished to stand down to concentrate on her family.
Nonetheless, she confirmed that she may seek to return to Parliament in the future.
Ms Drown explained, “I may well seek election as an MP again in the future. But by the time of the next election I will have done the job for eight years.
“If I stood again that would mean I had spent 12 or 13 years in Parliament – which is a long time, especially when I have young children whom I want to see as much of as possible.”
Ms Drown worked as an NHS accountant before being elected to Parliament in 1997, with a majority of 5,645. She increased her majority in the 2001 election, to 7,341.
