The East Anglian Daily Times reports this morning that Terry Waite, the former hostage in Beirut and one-time special envoy for the Archbishop of Canterbury, is actively considering standing for Parliament.
Whilst he only says to the paper that he would stand in a seat "in the Suffolk area", I am reliably informed that he specifically has his sights on the Bury St Edmunds constituency where he lives, which is currently represented by Conservative MP and shadow home affairs minister, David Ruffley.
Mr Ruffley has been featured in the Daily Telegraph coverage of how MPs have used their second home allowances, in relation to claims for bedroom furniture and a television, most of which he had to pay out of his own pocket after the Fees Office advised that it could not reimburse the full costs.
Mr Waite says:
“I think I have considerable experience on both national and international matters and I am still deeply involved in social issues, homelessness and penal questions."
“We need a radical re-examination of the party system and while independents might not have all the answers, they could encourage the reform process and show critical thinking not bound by party dogma or the whip.”
Jonathan Isaby