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Sir John to stand down at next election

7:10am Tuesday 18th March 2008

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BOURNEMOUTH West MP Sir John Butterfill will quit parliament at the next election, he announced on Monday night.

The Conservative MP - who has represented the town for 25 years - told his constituency party at the weekend that he would not be a candidate again.

He revealed his decision to the Daily Echo after consulting the party's chief whip.

Sir John, 67, had already been selected to defend his 4,031-vote majority over the Liberal Democrats at the next election.

"I would have stayed had there been an election last autumn and was selected to do so," he told the Daily Echo.

But he said it was now clear there would not be a poll before 2010 "by which time I would be in my 70th year".

"If I stayed on for five years I'd be 75 so that was probably a bit long," he said.

He said it had been a great honour to represent Bournemouth West for a quarter of a century.

Sir John entered parliament at Margaret Thatcher's landslide victory in 1983. He has served in a host of Westminster appointments, including as trustee of the parliamentary pension scheme.

He has seen four private member's bills become law. The first was in 1991 and gave greater protection to residents of small care homes. The latest, introduced last year, strengthened the role of mutual financial institutions.

He was parliamentary private secretary to energy secretary Cecil Parkinson and to Northern Ireland secretary Brian Mawhinney.

Tony Blair had him knighted in 2003 for services to parliament.

Sir John had a quadruple bypass operation five years ago but returned to health and fought another election.

He said he now hoped to spend more time with family. "I've now got seven grandchildren with an eighth about to arrive at the end of this month. I'd like to see a bit more of them than I have done with my own children," he added.

He intended to continue his involvement with charities including the Youth Cancer Trust, Streetwise, Fernheath Play Association and the PDSA.

He and his wife Pamela had not decided where they would live after he left Wesminster. But he said they might retire to the countryside near to the constituency.


Your Say YourThisisdorset

omegaman, Bournemouth says...
8:00am Tue 18 Mar 08

A genuine and nice man who has served this town well. We can only hope his successor will be as good.

PETE WOODLEY, says...
10:43am Tue 18 Mar 08

Can we now have a local mp.

Steve Clarke, Bournemouth says...
11:08am Tue 18 Mar 08

May I say Sir John has, and will always be the perfect example of a genntleman,he will be sorley missed in Bournemouth West. Guess who wants his seat? Watch out!!!
By the way, in answer to the quote from a Pete Woodley, Sir John has a place of residence in Bournemouth, he is a neighbour of mine and spends a lot of time in Bournemouth

Richard, Bournemouth says...
11:20am Tue 18 Mar 08

PETE WOODLEY wrote:
Can we now have a local mp.
That's pretty irrelevant, it's competence that matters.

John, Poole says...
11:27am Tue 18 Mar 08

Trust he will now be getting even more of his butter fill from his £5000 kitchen! I think he really wants to spend more time with his/our money.Still, I suppose if he can't stand the heat, he should get out of the kitchen!

The-bleeding-obvious, Bournemouth says...
11:50am Tue 18 Mar 08

PETE WOODLEY wrote:
Can we now have a local mp.
How about fedupwitjobsworths, he would make a first class candidate!

the owl, Treetops Bere says...
1:07pm Tue 18 Mar 08

A nice man with an even nicer jet black curly wig, I bet hes had to run after it a few times with all these March winds, it never used to be windy in March must be the climate changes fault, also he looks a picture of health.

the owl, Treetops Bere says...
1:24pm Tue 18 Mar 08

Steve Clarke, Bournemouth ,said
Guess who wants his seat? Watch out!!!

We are not ready for another guessing game just yet, if ever, no one's guessed MR ANGRY's last conundrum.
I hate guessing games.

JOHN, POOLE says...
1:33pm Tue 18 Mar 08

When he sells his London Home will he keep the profit he makes and will he keep all the televions, coffee makers etc that he clollected from the tax payers money?

JOHN, POOLE says...
1:34pm Tue 18 Mar 08

When he sells his London Home will he keep the profit he makes and will he keep all the televions, coffee makers etc that he clollected from the tax payers money?

John, Poole says...
3:17pm Tue 18 Mar 08

the owl wrote:
A nice man with an even nicer jet black curly wig, I bet hes had to run after it a few times with all these March winds, it never used to be windy in March must be the climate changes fault, also he looks a picture of health.
It's the daily butter fill that keeps him so healthy. At least he is having his last laugh at the taxpayers' expense!
Perhaps with his connections,omegaman knows whether there are any other skeletons in the kitchen cupboard! I hope the Echo's poll on whether MPs had any credibility left had nothing to do with Sir John's decision to quit.Perhaps Tobias may let us all know.

PETE WOODLEY, says...
3:57pm Tue 18 Mar 08

John wrote:
the owl wrote:
A nice man with an even nicer jet black curly wig, I bet hes had to run after it a few times with all these March winds, it never used to be windy in March must be the climate changes fault, also he looks a picture of health.
It's the daily butter fill that keeps him so healthy. At least he is having his last laugh at the taxpayers' expense!
Perhaps with his connections,omegaman knows whether there are any other skeletons in the kitchen cupboard! I hope the Echo's poll on whether MPs had any credibility left had nothing to do with Sir John's decision to quit.Perhaps Tobias may let us all know.
Carefull John,you have mentioned that word again, Tobias,now you know how the Echo react if anyone dares to say anything about him,talk about those in high places.As it happens i was on the selection committee when Butterful was chosen,he was NOT my choice.TOO FULL OF HIMSELF.

PETE WOODLEY, says...
3:59pm Tue 18 Mar 08

John wrote:
the owl wrote:
A nice man with an even nicer jet black curly wig, I bet hes had to run after it a few times with all these March winds, it never used to be windy in March must be the climate changes fault, also he looks a picture of health.
It's the daily butter fill that keeps him so healthy. At least he is having his last laugh at the taxpayers' expense!
Perhaps with his connections,omegaman knows whether there are any other skeletons in the kitchen cupboard! I hope the Echo's poll on whether MPs had any credibility left had nothing to do with Sir John's decision to quit.Perhaps Tobias may let us all know.
Carefull John,you have mentioned that word again, Tobias,now you know how the Echo react if anyone dares to say anything about him,talk about those in high places.As it happens i was on the selection committee when Butterful was chosen,he was NOT my choice.TOO FULL OF HIMSELF.

PETE WOODLEY, says...
4:01pm Tue 18 Mar 08

John wrote:
the owl wrote:
A nice man with an even nicer jet black curly wig, I bet hes had to run after it a few times with all these March winds, it never used to be windy in March must be the climate changes fault, also he looks a picture of health.
It's the daily butter fill that keeps him so healthy. At least he is having his last laugh at the taxpayers' expense!
Perhaps with his connections,omegaman knows whether there are any other skeletons in the kitchen cupboard! I hope the Echo's poll on whether MPs had any credibility left had nothing to do with Sir John's decision to quit.Perhaps Tobias may let us all know.
Carefull John,you have mentioned that word again, Tobias,now you know how the Echo react if anyone dares to say anything about him,talk about those in high places.As it happens i was on the selection committee when Butterful was chosen,he was NOT my choice.TOO FULL OF HIMSELF.

omegaman, Bournemouth says...
4:36pm Tue 18 Mar 08

PETE WOODLEY wrote:
John wrote:
the owl wrote: A nice man with an even nicer jet black curly wig, I bet hes had to run after it a few times with all these March winds, it never used to be windy in March must be the climate changes fault, also he looks a picture of health.
It's the daily butter fill that keeps him so healthy. At least he is having his last laugh at the taxpayers' expense! Perhaps with his connections,omegaman knows whether there are any other skeletons in the kitchen cupboard! I hope the Echo's poll on whether MPs had any credibility left had nothing to do with Sir John's decision to quit.Perhaps Tobias may let us all know.
Carefull John,you have mentioned that word again, Tobias,now you know how the Echo react if anyone dares to say anything about him,talk about those in high places.As it happens i was on the selection committee when Butterful was chosen,he was NOT my choice.TOO FULL OF HIMSELF.
So at long last we know you are a closet Tory. A leopard never changes its spots no matter how much you protest to the contrary. We all thought that for some time but now you have admitted it.

John, Poole says...
4:57pm Tue 18 Mar 08

Steve Clarke poses the query:'Guess who wants his seat? Watch out!!!'
I hope it won't be a closet Tory!

sauage, Bournemouth says...
5:38pm Tue 18 Mar 08

Oh, so that is who my MP is!

Tony, South West says...
10:19pm Tue 18 Mar 08

PETE WOODLEY hope you are not going to start repeating your self,time and time again with the same thread,its been peaceful lately.

PETE WOODLEY, says...
10:54pm Tue 18 Mar 08

Tony wrote:
PETE WOODLEY hope you are not going to start repeating your self,time and time again with the same thread,its been peaceful lately.
Glad it annoys you,still waiting for you to say something sensible,and to do with subject,will wait till you have had you brain surgery,why dont you have a go at others who do it,or is a silly personal grudge,GROW UP.

PETE WOODLEY, says...
10:55pm Tue 18 Mar 08

Tony wrote:
PETE WOODLEY hope you are not going to start repeating your self,time and time again with the same thread,its been peaceful lately.
Glad it annoys you,still waiting for you to say something sensible,and to do with subject,will wait till you have had you brain surgery,why dont you have a go at others who do it,or is a silly personal grudge,GROW UP.

muffin the mule, wallisdown says...
7:53am Wed 19 Mar 08

John Butterfill may well be a nice bloke,friend to many etc etc , but in my experience ,if it needed any effort,he was not your man .just a prime example of a 'cherry picker' - youre not going to be missed by me - now jim Courtney ,theres a trully fine man. !!

muffin the mule, wallisdown says...
7:55am Wed 19 Mar 08

John Butterfill may well be a nice bloke,friend to many etc etc , but in my experience ,if it needed any effort,he was not your man .just a prime example of a 'cherry picker' - youre not going to be missed by me - now jim Courtney ,theres a trully fine man. !!

Kenneth Gray, poole says...
2:45pm Sat 28 Jun 08

PETE WOODLEY wrote:
John wrote:
the owl wrote:
A nice man with an even nicer jet black curly wig, I bet hes had to run after it a few times with all these March winds, it never used to be windy in March must be the climate changes fault, also he looks a picture of health.
It's the daily butter fill that keeps him so healthy. At least he is having his last laugh at the taxpayers' expense!
Perhaps with his connections,omegaman knows whether there are any other skeletons in the kitchen cupboard! I hope the Echo's poll on whether MPs had any credibility left had nothing to do with Sir John's decision to quit.Perhaps Tobias may let us all know.
Carefull John,you have mentioned that word again, Tobias,now you know how the Echo react if anyone dares to say anything about him,talk about those in high places.As it happens i was on the selection committee when Butterful was chosen,he was NOT my choice.TOO FULL OF HIMSELF.

Pete Woodley on a selection panel for the conservative party-what on earth were they thinking

rcoones, usa says...
10:45pm Fri 18 Jul 08

I remember him now making comments at a public meeting several years ago about voting. He is the man who says that to run country you need to hire 'experts' who know how to do it. The people are to be guided and ruled by the conclusions and advice of these 'experts' who are an entitly unto themselves and appointed by people who know whats best for you. I can see no other attitude further from Democracy than this. Good riddance.. its about time the people told the government what to do instead of the other way around. Time for referendums...it works very well in other places around the world and keeps people like this man at bay! The Government's elected representatives are supposed to carry out the will of the people not special interests, Fabians, Communists, and 'experts' who are biased and nominated by insiders who supposedly know what is good for you. Trust that the good will and common sense and good values of the common people will see through the fog and spin created by these people.

Comments are closed on this article.

RETIRING AT THE NEXT ELECTION: Sir John Butterfill MP RETIRING AT THE NEXT ELECTION: Sir John Butterfill MP

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