A statement on behalf of Theo Clarke, MP for Stafford 2019-24, following her General Election defeat:
'I would like to congratulate Leigh and to wish her the best in what is a rewarding but tough job. It was a privilege to serve as your MP in Stafford. I would like to thank the election team at Stafford Borough Council, and in particular my wonderful campaign team led by my agent Carolyn and my office manager James. I also thank my local association and so many Conservative councillors for supporting me.
It has been an honour to represent this wonderful part of England. I am proud of what I have achieved over the past five years. Bringing in tens of millions of pounds in Government funding and pushing for for more money for: regeneration in our County Town, funding for mental health services, a new skills and innovation centre at our college, and helping our communities devastated by HS2. All this will benefit local people for many decades. But democracy has spoken and we are lucky to live in a country where we can go to the polls and elect our MP and government. It is a privilege we must cherish and always respect whether we win or lose. I recognise that this country has decided to take a new course.
I will now continue to work on my successful birth trauma campaign. I was proud to lead the first every Parliamentary cross-party inquiry into birth trauma in British history, and to have persuaded the Government to add in birth trauma to the Women's Health Strategy. There is much to do to improve maternity services for women here in the UK and across the world. A highlight of this election campaign for me was to hear on the doorstep in Stafford how many people had heard of my national campaign, and to meet so many people impacted by birth trauma.
Thank you and goodnight.'
