James Purnell - Standing Down From Parliament

Standing Down From Parliament

On 19 February 2010, James Purnell announced he would be standing down as an MP later that year, saying "I have decided that I no longer wish to be an MP. I have spent all my working life in or about Westminster. And while this has been a huge privilege, I've realised I don't want to have spent all my life in frontline politics." He pointed to his work with Demos as occupying him in the immediate future. Since leaving parliament, Purnell is also working on a project on leftwing politics, and is also the chair of the IPPR. It was touted that he would stand for the Labour candidacy to become Mayor of London, but he decided not to. It was also briefly rumoured amongst the media that he might stand for the position of BBC Chairman - but that has not happened. James Purnell supported the front-runner, David Miliband, in the Labour leadership and worked in his campaign. However, he was offered a job by new leader of the Labour Party, Ed Miliband, to become his new chief of staff, however he turned down the job. There is widespread speculation, that Purnell will return to frontline politics. In recent months, Purnell has become linked with the Blue Labour tendency within the Labour Party. On 7 April 2011, the Boston Consulting Group announced they have hired James Purnell as a "Special Advisor to their Public Sector Group". In July 2011, Purnell went on Newsnight with proposed welfare reforms, as part of his involvement in Blue Labour. He called for a 'National Salary Insurance', a Job Guarantee and free universal childcare, but also said that "freebies" such as Winter Fuel Allowance and free bus passes should become sacred but he did not rule out returning to Parliament in 2015, but declared his support for Ed Miliband and his leadership.