Veteran Conservative MP to focus on supporting his wife’s recovery after stroke
Sir Bob Neill, the Conservative MP for Bromley and Chislehurst, has confirmed he will step down from his parliamentary role at the next general election to care for his wife, Ann-Louise, who suffered a stroke in 2019. The 71-year-old, who has represented Bromley since 2006, made the decision to retire in a heartfelt letter to his local Conservative association.
In his message, Sir Bob explained that despite his wife’s brave recovery efforts, he believes it is important to devote more time to supporting her through the challenging journey. He stated, “She has always been there to support me, and I want to do the same for her and our family.”
Having served as a junior minister under David Cameron and currently chairing the Commons Justice Committee, Sir Bob has had a long and distinguished political career. He was first elected as a Conservative councillor 50 years ago and has been an MP for 24 years. Despite his decision to retire, Sir Bob assured his constituents that he would continue to work diligently for them until the dissolution of Parliament.
With a significant majority of nearly 11,000 votes in the 2019 general election, Sir Bob expressed confidence that his successor would retain the seat for the Conservatives. He also praised Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for his leadership, saying he was providing the country with “honest, diligent, and pragmatic leadership.”
Sir Bob’s announcement follows a trend of senior MPs stepping down ahead of the next election, including justice minister Mike Freer, who revealed he would also retire after facing personal threats and an arson attack on his office.
