London (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Steve Brine is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Winchester and Chandler’s Ford. He recently announced that he will be stepping down from the House of Commons right before the upcoming General Election. It did come as a surprise for many as he has represented the constituency since 2010. According to him, he is looking forward to embarking on a new journey in his life. While writing a letter to Conservative Association, Steve explained that his personal goal is to serve for around 28 years. However, now is the time to also consider a new direction for himself and his family.
Junior Minister For Primary Care & Public Health
During his journey in the Parliament, Steve has worked as a junior minister for Primary care and Public Health. He is currently the Chair of the Health and Social Care Select Committee. Steve has been a ‘One Nation’ conservative. All this time has supported the Remain campaign, especially in the 2016 EU Referendum. Subsequently, he resigned from his ministerial post in 2019 to vote in favor of single-market membership.
It is the customs union along with the EU but is against a no-deal in Brexit. Later in the same year, he joined the 21 rebel Conservative MPs when the whip withdrawn was done by Boris Johnson. However, he voted for the Benn Act which was working together to prevent the no-deal Brexit. Steve worked hard to defend his seat in the 2019 General Election.
Senior Tory Steve Brine is standing down at the next election – adding another name to the list of departing Conservatives https://t.co/ZrO2ELB1FZ
— LBC (@LBC) June 23, 2023
He strongly supported Winchester constituents but the majority collapsed to around 900 votes itself. It seemed that it was probably Winchester’s verdict on Boris Johnson instead of Steve Brine. Whatever the case may be, Winchester is now a Lib Dem target seat. It is predicted to stay even more conservative due to favorable boundary changes. All these changes indicate that no matter who succeeds, Steven will not represent residents in both Chandler’s Ford and Hiltingbury. Both of them will become a part of the Eastleigh constituency.
Steve Announces His Departure Ahead Of General Elections
In the letter to his association, Brine acknowledged the challenges of being away from home for multiple nights each week and the intensity of the modern political landscape. He mentioned the toll it had taken on him and his desire to achieve a better work-life balance for himself and his family.
Steven Brine is happy to highlight his achievements while working as an MP. He feels proud when it comes to securing a significant investment for the Winchester Hospital. Moreover, he complimented Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, while expressing confidence in the leadership of Sunak. Steve decided to leave his business behind and pursued a successful career in Parliament.
As an MP he is working with a lot of dedication and taking time to engage in all the activities. He is ready to help aspiring broadcast journalism students at Winchester University. Moreover, will be sharing his valuable experiences with the bright students. Steve has assured his constituents that he will continue to serve them till the end of the current parliamentary session. According to him, it will be ‘business as usual’ till the time of his departure.
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Controversies Faced By Steve During His Journey
Steve is elated to help secure a good amount of investment for the betterment of medicine. It is used to develop an elective hub and outpatient facility at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital. He faced a lot of criticism when some messages were revealed that revealed he was trying to contact the health bosses. However, he was acting as a paid consultant for the Remedium Partners. The MP claimed that he was trying to get a response from the ministers to get the necessary help for the NHS during a pandemic.
Due to these controversies, he was reprimanded by Acoba, the watchdog that keeps an eye on the rules of appointment. They invited the former vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi to take an active part in the 2021 event hosted by Sigma Pharmaceuticals. Steve was working as a paid advisor during this time.
Acoba criticized him for not informing him that he was taking up the role with Sigma. He was being criticized for being a poor admin. However, Steve worked diligently to clear his image. It is not only Steve but a few other high-profile conservatives have confirmed their departure at the next election.