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Short says she is ready to retire Short to step down as Labour MP
(about 3 hours later)
Former Cabinet minister Clare Short says she will be stepping down as an MP at the next General Election. Former Cabinet minister Clare Short says she will be stepping down as a Labour MP at the next General Election.
Ladywood MP Ms Short, 60, partly blamed Tony Blair's foreign policy and said: "I have reached a stage where I am profoundly ashamed of the government."Ladywood MP Ms Short, 60, partly blamed Tony Blair's foreign policy and said: "I have reached a stage where I am profoundly ashamed of the government."
She quit as international development secretary in 2003 over the Iraq war and has since called on Mr Blair to resign. She quit as international development secretary in 2003 in protest at the post-invasion plans for Iraq.
Her reputation as a principled straight-talker infuriated her leaders but endeared her to Labour's left. She told the BBC she wanted to campaign for electoral reform. She did not rule out standing to be an independent MP.
She said the option of standing as an independent was "improbable, but who knows?".
Ms Short made her announcement in the Independent, in which she wrote: "Blair's craven support for the extremism of US neoconservative foreign policy has exacerbated the danger of terrorism and the instability and suffering of the Middle East.Ms Short made her announcement in the Independent, in which she wrote: "Blair's craven support for the extremism of US neoconservative foreign policy has exacerbated the danger of terrorism and the instability and suffering of the Middle East.
"He has dishonoured the UK, undermined the UN and international law and helped to make the world a more dangerous place.""He has dishonoured the UK, undermined the UN and international law and helped to make the world a more dangerous place."
She also pointed to the replacement of Trident, public sector reform and Mr Blair's style of government as other reasons.She also pointed to the replacement of Trident, public sector reform and Mr Blair's style of government as other reasons.
Protracted resignationProtracted resignation
Ms Short has resigned from the Labour Party frontbench three times - twice over the Gulf Wars and once because of the prevention of terrorism laws.Ms Short has resigned from the Labour Party frontbench three times - twice over the Gulf Wars and once because of the prevention of terrorism laws.
Along with the late former Foreign Secretary Robin Cook, she led the backbench critics of the Iraqi conflict of 2003. The way she resigned from the Cabinet in 2003 was seen as damaging her standing with the Labour left.
But unlike Mr Cook, who quit on the eve of the war, the way she went severely damaged her standing with her previous supporters. Rather than quitting before the conflict, like Cabinet colleague Robin Cook, she publicly agonised over its rights and wrongs.
Rather than quitting before the conflict, she publicly agonised over its rights and wrongs - and only left her post as international development secretary once the main hostilities ended. She only left her post as international development secretary once the main hostilities ended.
She was one of a number of MPs who demanded Parliament be recalled last month to discuss the crisis in the Middle East.She was one of a number of MPs who demanded Parliament be recalled last month to discuss the crisis in the Middle East.
Secret son Electoral reform
Ms Short said another reason she wanted to quit as a Labour MP was because she wanted to campaign for a hung Parliament and to encourage electoral reform.
She said Labour should hold a third of the seats, the Tories a third and the rest should be made up of Greens and other parties.
With a degree in political science, she had no notion of entering Parliament until she worked as a private secretary to Conservative Home Office Minister Mark Carlisle, and found many MPs decidedly "unimpressive" at their jobs.With a degree in political science, she had no notion of entering Parliament until she worked as a private secretary to Conservative Home Office Minister Mark Carlisle, and found many MPs decidedly "unimpressive" at their jobs.
"I could do that," she thought, and in 1983, she became the member for Birmingham Ladywood."I could do that," she thought, and in 1983, she became the member for Birmingham Ladywood.
In more recent times she stunned Westminster by introducing her secret son, Toby, to the public, 31 years after she had given him up for adoption.In more recent times she stunned Westminster by introducing her secret son, Toby, to the public, 31 years after she had given him up for adoption.
Earlier this year, Jon Norton, husband of former Northern Ireland Secretary Mo Mowlam, announced that he was having a relationship with Ms Short. Earlier this year, Jon Norton, husband of the late former Northern Ireland Secretary Mo Mowlam, announced that he was having a relationship with Ms Short.
Ms Mowlam, who was Redcar MP from 1987 to 2001, died in August last year aged 55.