Lynne Featherstone today sent a final email to residents in Hornsey and Wood Green, thanking them for giving her the opportunity to represent them.

Lynne was first elected as a Liberal Democrat councillor in Muswell Hill in 1998, and to the London Assembly in 2000. She overturned a 26,000 Labour majority to become the Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey and Wood Green in 2005.

Over the last 10 years, Lynne has been consistently recognised as one of the most responsive MPs, despite having one of the highest caseloads in the country. She worked with residents to protect local services like the Whittington A&E, and led successful campaigns to secure fairer funding for Haringey’s schools and health services.

As a minister over the last five years, Lynne Featherstone was the architect and originator of Equal Marriage, and launched the £35 million campaign to end FGM within a generation.

In her email to residents, Lynne Featherstone said:

“This will be my last email to you all.

And I just wanted to say a heartfelt thank you for our relationship over the last ten years whilst I was your MP.

It has been an honour and a privilege to serve – both locally and nationally. I have had the opportunity to help people and to change the world a little bit for the better – the very reason I went into politics in the first place.

I know how hard it was for my left leaning constituents – because many of you told me on the doorstep – to decide between keeping me and your genuine fear that if you voted for me that we would get a Conservative government. Ironically we have one anyway.

And I know from my right leaning constituents how they feared a Labour government – so voted for me to try and have one less Labour seat.

I would ask one last favour of you – to watch Nick Clegg’s resignation speech if you have not seen it already. It says everything I think – much better than I can.

Over 7000 people have joined the Liberal Democrats since polling day – and I believe that is because there is a realisation that politics without a liberal voice is the poorer.

Again – thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve.”