Steve Webb won’t be standing for Parliament again

Sad news about Steve Webb, who was one of the most successful Lib Dem ministers, oversaw major and welcome pension reforms, was a pioneer blogger and was rightly called the best pensions minister in a generation:

Liberal Democrat Mr Webb, who was defeated by Conservative Luke Hall in the 2015 General Election, has decided not to put himself forward for selection and said a new candidate was needed to lead the community and try to rebuild the country.

Mr Webb, who served as the area’s MP for 18 years, said: “The country is going through massive trauma, which will have huge effects on our lives here in Thornbury and Yate.

“With talk of a ‘snap’ General Election in the air, I wanted to contact members personally to let them know that after much reflection, I have decided that we need a new candidate to lead our community through a long period of transition and play their role in helping our country rebuild.”