McCully retiring from East Coast Bays

Murray McCully announced:

McCully will not contest East Coast Bays in 2017

Foreign Affairs Minister and National Party Member for East Coast Bays Murray McCully has announced that he will not contest the East Coast Bays constituency in next year’s general election. He advised his East Coast Bays electorate AGM of his decision last night.

Mr McCully said his decision was not related to his medical leave late last year.

“It is a real privilege to serve as Minister of Foreign Affairs. But it is an office that does not always sit easily with the role of a constituency MP.

“When my role as Foreign Minister comes to an end it is my intention to retire from Parliament. Quite when that will be, and whether I seek election as a List Member of Parliament in 2017, are decisions for the Prime Minister in the first instance.

“At the end of this term I will have served as the local Member of Parliament for 30 years. This is the right time for me to announce my intentions and clear the way for an orderly succession process,” said Mr McCully.

This is no surprise and has been long signalled.

There will be huge interest in his seat, His majority was 15,034 and McCully got five times as many votes as the Labour candidate in 2014.