By Douglas Carswell MP

FOR me, there can be no greater honour than to have been able to call myself the Member of Parliament for Clacton for the past 12 years. Each time I walked into the House of Commons chamber, I never forgot who sent me there. It has been a privilege. Thank you.

Its also been a lot of fun. I have got to know thousands of wonderful local people, with MP advice surgeries, coffee mornings and fish and chip suppers. As your MP, I always tried to put local first. That meant supporting local campaigns to defend local services, safeguard our hospital and improve our new seafront. It also meant having one eye on what folk in Essex would make of which way I voted in Parliament.

Many years ago, when I could still get away with calling myself a young man, I decided that I wanted to stand for Parliament for all sorts of reasons. But there was one compelling reason above any other; I believed that Britain should leave the European Union.

I have stuck to that goal consistently. I said I wanted us to leave the EU in my Maiden Speech in the Commons (the whips were not amused!). I argued for a referendum at every opportunity. I was even prepared to change parties, and call a by-election, to make sure that we got one.

Last June, we won that referendum. Britain is going to become a sovereign country once again. Job done. I’m thrilled.

I am not re-joining the Conservative party. To be frank, I have had enough of party politics for a while. But I will be voting Conservative on June 8 to make sure Theresa May is in Downing Street. Why? She will make a success of a sensible Brexit. I also happen to believe she is the leader most likely to give us the kind of country I want my young daughter to grow up in.

Leaving Parliament now is the right thing for me and my family. I also believe it is the right thing for our area. Why? Politics should be more than a game in which MPs simply try to continue their careers as MPs. When you have done what you entered politics to achieve, you should be prepared to move on.

On each of the four occasions I stood for election locally, I won. But even when I won with a large majority, I was always very aware that there were plenty of folk who did not vote for me. I hope I tried to reflect that by not being particularly tribal. I stopped putting party logos on leaflets or letterheads a long time ago. Last, but not least, I want to thank the Gazette and the Gazette’s readers. The Gazette has held me to account when I have got things wrong. You have challenged me when I deserved to be challenged. Having such a good local newspaper is vital for democracy.

Clementine and I wish the Gazette and all your readers all the very best for the future.