News
Huntingdon Conservatives vote to oust Djanogly after 22 years as their MP
MP Jonathan Djanogly has lost his fight for re-selection, and this will be his last term in office.
As reported by CambsNews earlier this month the Conservative Party’s local selection committee voted 12-9 to reject him.
The MP appealed to the wider Conservative branch membership but they, too, have confirmed they no longer wish for him to represent the constituency.
MP Jonathan Djanogly failed to win automatic re selection by local Conservatives. Now wider membership has backed the decision.
One political commentator observed at the time that “Huntingdon has been affected by boundary changes, and there is a perception that new intake areas may have influenced opinion against the MP”.
The MP’s aides insisted he would appeal the decision pointing out that after 22 years “serving the constituency” he had no alternative other than to keep fighting.
But Mr Djanogly has now accepted his political career in Cambridgeshire is at an end.
He said: “It has been a great privilege to serve the residents of the Huntingdon constituency as their Member of Parliament over the last twenty-two years and, together, we have achieved a significant amount.
“I am grateful to the tens of thousands of voters who have consistently put their faith in me at the ballot box.
“Of course, until the next election, I will continue to represent Huntingdon proudly as I have done to the best of my ability for the past two decades.”
Jonathan Djanogly MP, One Leisure, St Ives Friday 06 May 2022. Picture by Terry Harris.
Mr Djanogly has been involved in politics since the mid-1980s and became a London councillor in 1994.
In 1997, he stood for Parliament in the Labour held seat of Oxford East and was first elected to represent the Huntingdon constituency in 2001 and then re-elected in both 2005 and 2010.
From the formation of the Coalition Government in May 2010 until September 2012 he served as the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice.
However, it was a story earlier this year of a housekeeper at his London home that may have
It was revealed that a housekeeper had been given duties by his wife that included “detailed instructions about the rotation of avocados between the fruit bowl and the fridge”.
The woman was also instructed “about counting cutlery, about how to carry items from the coffee table to the sink, and about how to clean stools,” an employment tribunal judge said.
“The laundry instructions alone run to a page and a half and include instructions on setting alarms and sending texts about collection of dirty clothes.”
There followed a lengthy and detailed report of two successful employment claims.
Mr Djanogly said: “Rebecca (his wife) accepts the resulting tribunal judgements and will be reviewing contractual terms with future employees.
“Neither tribunal judgement referred to mistreatment of employees, let alone modern-day slavery, and any suggestion that this occurred at any point is firmly denied”.
“I am aware of a story circulating in some parts of the press about my wife, Miss Rebecca Silk, and I wish to make clear that she is always concerned about the welfare of her employees.
“It is correct that Rebecca had contractual employment disputes with two individuals.
Djanogly’s current Huntingdon seat is being merged with parts of Cambridgeshire North West to produce a new Huntingdon.
“Rebecca accepts the resulting tribunal judgements and will be reviewing contractual terms with future employees.
“Neither tribunal judgement referred to mistreatment of employees, let alone modern-day slavery, and any suggestion that this occurred at any point is firmly denied.
“Appropriate legal action is being actively considered in response.”
Djanogly’s current Huntingdon seat is being merged with parts of Cambridgeshire North West to produce a new Huntingdon.
Electoral Calculus says his new constituency works out as roughly 66 per cent of his previous one.
According to Conservative Home website the selection committee included six councillors from Cambridgeshire North West “who are all thought to have voted against Djanogly at the meeting”.
Conservative Home reported that the MP was “bullish and looks forward to the ballot of the wider membership which will soon take place”.
Although he is currently predicted by Electoral Calculus to face a tight battle for re-election, Conservative Home said the Huntingdon MP did “not want to stand elsewhere or seek adoption for the new St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire constituency that incorporates some of Huntingdon”.
Jonathan Djanogly MP (second left) campaigning in Brampton a year ago
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