Ex-Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans pays heartfelt tribute to his former constituents

Nigel Evans served the Ribble Valley for 32 years. Pic credit: Nigel Evans.

As Nigel Evans made his way into the election count in the early hours of last Friday morning (5 July), he had the air of man who perhaps knew his time as Ribble Valley MP was up.

Faced with what he had labelled a ‘political tsunami’ of anti-Conservative feeling, a resurgent Labour Party and the tricky issue of Reform splitting the Tory vote, the man who had served the borough for 32 years cut a somewhat forlorn figure.

But during the early hours of Friday – it was close to 5am when it was announced that Maya Ellis had become the borough’s first ever Labour MP – Nigel’s pride in serving the area shone through.

And that warmth for the Ribble Valley and its people has not waned in the days since the general election.

In a video posted on his Facebook page, Nigel said: “From the bottom of my heart I want to say thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve you over the past 32 years, and my fulfilment has been helping thousands of people over that time.”

This echoed what he said on the night following the announcement of the result at Roefield Leisure Centre, Clitheroe.

“The political tsunami I have faced today has taken out the good, the bad and the ugly among us,” he said as he addressed the audience on Friday morning.

“Reform wanted to take the Tories under and they have been successful in that.

“But I have helped thousands of people during my time as MP and that will be my legacy.”

Nigel Evans exits the Commons after a long stint as Ribble Valley MP. Pic credit: Nigel Evans.

And there is no doubt that Nigel worked hard on behalf of the Ribble Valley over his many years as the borough’s MP.

An effective and vocal campaigner, he fought long and hard on issues such as improving the safety of the A59 near Clitheroe, as well as many other challenges both big and small.

Speaking to Blog Preston on election night, he said that he fully intended to keep living in the Ribble Valley and that he saw the borough as being his home.

He also said that while he would have liked to step away from politics on his own terms, it would have been his last term in politics before retirement, even if he had won.

“I am of pensionable age after all,” he joked.

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