So, farewell Hugo Swire, Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, hello Hugo Swire, common-or-garden backbench MP. It should be noted that, since becoming an MP, Swire has spent most of his time in some government post or other and has never really experienced life as a back bench MP with little or no power or influence.
No excuses now for not speaking up on behalf of East Devon! And SO much less international work for his £35,000+ per annum P.A (his wife Sasha). True, it will mean commuting from his home in Mid-Devon but at least that will still be on expenses.
“Hugo Swire said he was retiring from his role as a foreign minister hours after likening sacked allies of David Cameron to condemned prisoners sent to the guillotine during the French revolution.
He tweeted yesterday: “Not a good time to be a Cameroon. The tumbrils are rolling again!”
Tumbrils were carts used to carry prisoners to the guillotine during the revolution.
On Saturday, he tweeted a photo of the famous Looney Tunes cartoon sign-off “that’s all folks!” and said: “I am retiring to the backbenches to join my friends. It’s been an honour and a privilege to have served as a minister in the government since 2010.”
Aren’t we lucky …
East Devon Watch 
Hooray!
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Let’s hope it isn’t too long before he jumps the East Devon ship too
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This post is absolutely farcical for a number of reasons.
1: Hugo Swire has been an MP for 15 years and the Conservatives have been in power for 6. It is clearly impossible for Hugo Swire to have been in government for most of his time as an MP.
2. Very interesting that you believe that backbench MPs have no influence or power. We will remember this next time you argue that Claire Wright should be an independent back bencher.
3.Does his wife work on ministerial rather than constituency business? Where is your proof? She is employed as part of his constituency team.
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Read his cv – he details his many posts during his career.
He had usec “being a minister” as the reason he cannot speak for East Devon saying also that, as a Minister instead he can speak directly to other ministers instead which he says is much more effective.
As for being a backbench MP, he has a major disadvantage compared to Claire Wright – he is whipped, whipped, whipped.
He declares himself less effective FOR US as a whipped MP on the benches than as a Minister with direct access to other Ministers.
We look forward now to his many speeches for East Devon.
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