My final column is perhaps more reflective than usual but I hope you will forgive me as I prepare to formally step down as Parliament is formally Dissolved ahead of the General Election on July 4.
Fourteen years ago, in May 2010, I was first elected as our MP. That was the culmination of many years hard work and realised my dream.
It is, of course, hard to leave but wherever my travels take me next, it will remain the privilege of my life to have served in the House of Commons.
When I was in my teens, I had a day out in London. I sent my parents a postcard of the House of Parliament and, rather presumptuously, wrote “My future office”.
I had forgotten about that postcard, but when my father passed away just days after the last general election, I found it among his things. They had kept it all those years, and I know both my parents (Mum passed away from breast cancer in 2003) were incredibly proud.
I have won four general elections and will be the first – and last – MP for Winchester & Chandler’s Ford because of boundary changes.
I was elected into a coalition, have voted to send our armed forces to war, lived through the Brexit years and served in various Government roles including as a Government Whip, a Health Minister and latterly as chair of the Health and Social Care Select Committee.
It is record of which I am proud. As Public Health Minister, I began what would become known as ‘Pharmacy First’ and I wrote a comprehensive cancer plan. The next Government must urgently update it.
I established the HIV Commission, alongside my friend the shadow Health Secretary, which produced a road map to get England to zero new transmissions by 2030.
I extended the national HPV vaccine programme to boys which, while not something my teenage son thanked me for when he had it the other day, will save thousands of lives and eradicate cervical cancer from our country.
Working alongside two Secretaries of State, and some very talented officials, I think we did some good things.
I always said nobody owns Winchester. I won the seat because I worked really hard earn your support in the first place and I kept it because I did the job to the best of my ability every single day.
And, importantly to me, I’ve always run 100% positive campaigns because I utterly reject negative campaigning that does so much to undermine politics and those within it. I fear I shall be disappointed, but I hope that continues locally in this general election campaign.
I have tried to stay in touch over the years through many means including over 160 Letters from Westminster for this newspaper alone and more than 1200 articles for parish magazines across our area. And my final Annual Report, looking back over my time in the job, is available for download from today at www.stevebrine.com.
My advice to those wishing to succeed me as Winchester’s MP? Focus on what you will do not telling tales on others, be our champion in Westminster (it’s very easy to get lost and be an irrelevant voice) not the other way around and always put constituency before politics.
Thank you for your support over many years and above all, thank you to my family - Susie, Emily & William - for allowing me to serve as well as my dogs, Popcorn and Monty.
And finally; remember it’s nice to be important but it’s much more important to be nice.
Steve Brine
