By Daniel Forman - 29th July 2004
Although I was subjected to intimidation I would not be silenced and it helped force the government to give parliament the vote when the war in Iraq loomed large. It is now an important precedent that parliament decides upon war and not a prime ministe
Paul Marsden
Floor-crossing MP Paul Marsden has announced he is to leave parliament at the next general election.
The Liberal Democrat member for Shrewsbury and Atcham revealed on Thursday that he would be stepping down at the next general election.
Now a junior spokesman on transport, Marsden came to prominence when he left Labour over the government's support for war in Afghanistan in 2001 and a public row with chief whip Hilary Armstrong.
He said he was leaving Westminster to pursue new opportunities, but was widely expected to lose as a Lib Dem candidate at the next poll.
The party trailed in third in the last election some 16,000 votes behind Labour and 12,000 behind the Conservatives.
However Marsden predicted that Labour would lose in the election, expected to be held next year.
"I have served as the local MP for over seven years and I would like to move onto a new career. I remain 110 per cent committed to the job until the prime minister calls an election," he said.
"I thoroughly enjoy the job and it is an honour to represent the wonderful people of Shrewsbury and Atcham. I am very proud of my constituency record especially in helping to secure funding with the new wing at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, saving the County Court and bringing the prime minister to the town which helped deliver new flood defences.
"I am also proud of having stood up in parliament and urged a vote on the war in Afghanistan. Although I was subjected to intimidation I would not be silenced and it helped force the government to give parliament the vote when the war in Iraq loomed large. It is now an important precedent that parliament decides upon war and not a prime minister.
"I believe the next election will be a close run fight between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives and I will be strongly backing the Lib Dem candidate when they have been chosen."
Private life
Marsden used a local radio interview to explain that recent press coverage of his private life and seven years as an MP had taken its toll on him.
"Over time, once I began to get known nationally, it became incredibly pressurised," he told BBC Radio Shropshire.
"It's very difficult to explain to anyone what it is like when you feel like you're being watched 24/7.
"I was [in the newspapers] because of crossing the floor of the house.
"Then affairs, alleged affairs, came out after I'd gone to the press because I thought I wanted to get this out in the open. But that lasted for 26 days."
Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy paid tribute to his colleague.
"Paul made a bold and principled decision to leave the Labour Party and join the Liberal Democrats," he said.
"He has worked extremely hard as a constituency MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham and has proved an effective spokesman for health and transport. I wish him the very best of luck in the future."
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