A Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for the London constituency Sutton and Cheam, Paul Scully, has declared his intention to stand down at the next UK general election. Scully served as Minister for London from February 2020 to November 2023, and represents the sixth Tory MP in London to announce they will not contest the upcoming election.
His announcement follows an apology last week for claiming areas of Tower Hamlets and Birmingham were “no-go” zones. Scully confirmed that the response to his comments was not behind his decision to not seek reelection, but conceded it “confirmed I’ve made the right decision”.
Scully served as a constituency MP for the last nine years and was elected in 2015. Speaking about his decision, Scully stated, “Over the last nine years it’s been a privilege to represent in Parliament, the area which I called home for 35 years. I never intended to retire as a politician”.
Scully has been critical of his party and condemned “the government leaving the pitch in London”. He stated that he still believed he was the best candidate for mayor of London, a position in which he failed to make the Conservative Party’s shortlist last year. The campaign team for the selected candidate, Susan Hall, highlighted that Scully had previously supported her in a column for the Telegraph.
Analysts say that as the political landscape shifts, many politicians are evaluating their positions and making their own decisions. In the case of Scully, it appears the “no-go comments” were not the trigger for his decision to not seek reelection. Rather, it seems he is disillusioned with his party’s lack of leadership and vision for London
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