Maidstone Helen Grant stepping down at next election
Maidstone Helen Grant stepping down as Conservative MP at the next general election, expected in 2029. The shadow solicitor general, who succeeded Ann Widdecombe in 2010, cited cancer recovery and a wish to give her successor time to build a profile. She will also leave the frontbench at the next reshuffle.
Key Takeaways
- Helen Grant told the Maidstone & Malling Conservative Association on 10 July she will stand down at the next election.
- Cancer surgery and treatment in 2023–24 left her illness-free but reinforced her decision to “pass the baton”.
- She will exit as shadow solicitor general at the next Conservative reshuffle under Kemi Badenoch.
- Her office delayed the public announcement out of respect after news of Widdecombe’s suspected murder.
- Liberal Democrats have selected Michael Stephens to contest Maidstone and Malling.
Grant’s decision closes a near two-decade chapter for the Kent seat once held by Widdecombe. It also opens an early contest in a constituency she held in 2024 with a majority of just 1,674. For more on high-profile departures and political names in the headlines, see our celebrity breaking news coverage.
Why is Helen Grant standing down now?
According to a statement from her office, Grant confirmed the move at the association’s annual general meeting. By the next election she will have served in Parliament for 19 years. She said representing Maidstone and the Weald, and later the redrawn Maidstone and Malling seat after 2024 boundary changes, had been “the greatest privilege of my professional life.”
She remains healthy and cancer-free after major surgery and treatment across 2023 and 2024. That ordeal, she said, reinforced her view that now is the right moment to hand over. She also wants her successor to have time to build a profile locally before voters go to the polls, which are expected in 2029.
Grant has told Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch she intends to leave her shadow solicitor general role at the next reshuffle. She was appointed to that frontbench post in November 2024 after backing Badenoch in the leadership contest, as reported by BBC News.
How does Ann Widdecombe fit into this story?
Grant replaced Widdecombe as MP for Maidstone and the Weald in 2010 and became the Conservative Party’s first Black woman MP. She had planned to announce her retirement earlier in July but postponed it “as a mark of respect” after Widdecombe was found dead at her Devon home on 9 July.
A 28-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder. Counter-terrorism police have said they suspect a “targeted attack” and are working to establish a motive. Grant had recently called for a parliamentary memorial to Widdecombe.
Who is already lining up to fight the seat?
Kent Online reports that Liberal Democrat members selected Michael Stephens, 43, a foreign affairs, security and public health consultant, on 14 July. He beat two other shortlisted candidates. Stephens specialises in Middle East security, speaks Arabic and Hebrew, and says he will move to Maidstone from mid-August.
In the 2024 general election for Maidstone and Malling, Grant won 14,146 votes (30.5%), ahead of Labour on 12,472 (26.9%) and Reform UK on 9,316 (20.1%). With Grant stepping aside, parties now have years to shape the race for a seat that remains tightly contested.