- Theo Clarke, a Conservative who represents Stafford, has lost his seat.
- Due to harassment after taking maternity leave.
- She claims that going forward, she will look for the rank and file members’ support.
Theo Clarke, a Conservative who represents Stafford, has lost his seat. Ms. Clarke, who has served as the town’s representative since 2019, expressed her “great disappointment” at not being chosen as a candidate by a committee of the constituency association.
The lawmaker said in a statement shared on Twitter that she had experienced harassment after declaring her intention to take maternity leave.
She claims that going forward, she will look for the rank and file members’ support.
“Living at home in the new constituency and working here, I stood on a record of successfully bringing investment into Stafford such as millions for mental health services and crucial infrastructure,” Ms. Clarke said on Friday.
She added: “Our town will soon see investment from the Levelling Up Fund and the Shared Prosperity Fund is already transforming the town center with the Shire Hall due to fully reopen soon.
“I tirelessly campaigned for these wins, they will make a difference and make Stafford an even greater, better place to live, work and raise a family.”
Ms. Clarke, the niece of Jacob Rees-Mogg, a former business secretary and current North East Somerset Tory MP, was elected as Stafford’s MP in 2019 with a margin of victory of more than 14,000 votes.
Ahead of the next general election, the borders of her existing district are being changed to include more rural areas to the west of the town.
Her deselection occurred less than a week after the new mother, who had spent six months on maternity leave after giving birth to her daughter, returned to Parliament on February 20.
She disclosed in December of last year that she had had dozens of calls from irate residents who had criticized her for taking time off.
She added: “I have only returned from maternity this week and I have been very disappointed by the abuse that I have received since I announced I was having a baby.
“The selection committee have made their decision and it is my full intention to go the membership.”
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