Lichfield’s former MP says he hopes people will remember him “with affection”.
Sir Michael Fabricant lost his seat at the General Election last week after being beaten by Labour’s Dave Robertson.
It brings to an end a 32-year Parliamentary career which has included him being the Conservative MP since the Lichfield constituency was founded in 1997.
But after defeat at the polls, Sir Michael said he was able to reflect on a number of highlights from his time in office.
“I’m proud of the fact I helped save the National Memorial Arboretum when it got into financial difficulties. I managed to persuade a Labour Minister to write off a huge VAT debt which if they’d have had to pay it they’d have gone bankrupt and not been taken over by the Royal British Legion which has made them secure.
“Another achievement which I like very much relates to a constituent whose father had a hereditary disease and she wanted to work in the RAF. Because I had some knowledge of medicine I was able to persuade them to take this particular girl on and I’m pleased to say she’s now a Squadron Leader at quite a young age.
“There are lots of little highlights like that of which I’m proud.
“I hope people in Lichfield – because I’m not going anywhere – will remember me with affection.”
Sir Michael Fabricant
The former MP said he was unsure what the future would now hold, but insisted he would not be leaving the city.
“Someone has suggested I do Strictly, but I’m not sure on that one.
“I’ll have to sort out the various things you sort out as a retiring MP and then I shall go on holiday probably – but I intend to stay in Lichfield.”
Sir Michael Fabricant
Don’t let the door hit you on the way out 👋
32 years in parliament and he got someone a job and a vat bill reduced.
What a self promoting grifter he is. He should have been kicked out years ago.
Nope, just embarrassed
I will remember Sir Fabricant with much affection.
He dedicated his life to his local community, serving our city in parliament. For anyone who needed to contact him them he would respond and do his best for you. You might not have got what you wanted but at least you knew your MP would respond.
Importantly his views represented to constituency of Lichfield. We voted for him time and again because he is a reflection of us. I would argue that he still reflects Lichfield and those who vote in this great city as the majority of voters still hold conservative views (all be it in the form of Reform UK for some).
I wish Sir Fabricant the very best for the future and I would hope the spiteful and immature comments on here are removed – it only shows the lack of maturity of those who comment to attack our ex-MP personally.
In a word “disappointing” is how I sum up Fabricant.
Yes, I will remember Michael with affection. I note that the usual Trolls are out below. To them I would say, “if you can’t say anything polite, don’t say anything”. Bad thoughts and deeds only come back to you in various ways…
My experience of Michael was he was a good MP. He never failed to help when needed and always the answers came back quickly to any queries I had. He was also a good listener, even when I disagreed with him and politely answered me. I shall miss his blonde hair on those green benches, and I do thank him for his service to this constituency. Nevertheless, I wish the new Labour MP for Lichfield every success…for our sakes and our Country.
I’ll remember him for lots of things but nothing good.
Gosh! Not much of a legacy after 27 years as our MP is it?
When he was trying to get support for leaving the eu in the city I asked what was the main benefit and was told we could take back our sovereignty I then asked about trade and was told we could trade with Canada and Australia I did point out that their combined population was les than Germany! At this point he started speaking to someone else . But let’s not forget he got a knighthood something all lichfeldians will benefit from- some legacy?
27 years as our MP, whatever your political views are is not to be sniffed at or disregarded. The new MP will be lucky to still be in post in 5 years. More people in Lichfield voted for Tories & Reform combined than they did for Labour. When the tough gets going….being ‘born and raised in Lichfield’ won’t mean much next time the ballot boxes are out.
The spiteful comments are a poor reflection on some of the contributors to this site. Whatever your politics, Michael gave his working life to this community, and this should be respected.
He has some knowledge of medicine? Is there anything he isn’t an expert on, apart from integrity?
Fantastic MP . Lets hope the new mp doesn’t get the disgraceful comments made about him that prove what a load of biased lefty lovers they are.
Whenever my mother needed to get in touch with Mr Fabricant regarding my late father’s occasional unsatisfactory treatment ( he was on kidney dialysis for over 35 years) with the NHS he would always respond and do his best to try and sort out the problem so I can only speak of the positive experience we had in dealings with Michael.
Balanced view
It is worth remembering, that a lot of the work done by Michael Fabricant was actually done by the staff members in his office.
March 2023 Total Staffing budget payroll costs for the 2022-23 year £142,729.22
https://www.theipsa.org.uk/mp-staffing-business-costs/your-mp/michael-fabricant/280
Disagreeing with someone’s opinion doesn’t automatically make them a troll – that was one of the many mistakes the former MP requently made on social media. Equally, having a different personal experience to someone else does not invalidate that experience. I did not always get a reply from the former MP, but when I did they were standard templates that rarely, if ever, dealt with the issue I had raised. I wonder if any of those defending the former MP saw his social media output? As @Wendy says “bad thoughts and deeds only come back to you in various ways”. The former MP has seen that happen to him with his massive majority overturned. Do your constituents still love you? It seems not.
When I challenged him on Johnson’s partying during lockdown & No.10 staffers vomiting up its walls whilst we diligently obeyed the rules & didn’t visit my frail, now-deceased mother-in-law for 9 weeks, he waved me away with some blather. That was around the time he said nurses & teachers were drinking in their staffrooms & restrooms – which they were not. I for one am mightily glad this brilliant city no longer has this relentlessly narcissistic man representing it.
We will welcome an MP who recognises reality. All of those paying higher mortgage payments will remember his fondness for magical thinking. The widely-hated Brexit and its continuing damage will be his legacy. A generation deprived of the freedom to live, love, study and work in Europe is a matter of shame.
This man became increasingly distant from his constituents, firstly by stopping drop in sessions long before MP security became an issue, to calling his constituents obscene names. Personally, I think his final undoing was voting to allow water companies to pump raw sewage into Lichfield rivers – which is unforgivable.
Ultimately, he became a lazy, self assured man who was very much voted out because of his persona.
@Professor Pineapple : The only shame is the globalists and the Elites not accepting the democratic will of the people.
Mr. Fabricant.
What actually did you do whilst you represented Lichfield and surrounding areas?
@Belleview: Polls show that the will of the British people is no longer in favour of Brexit. How do you propose to respect that? The truth is that the leave campaign was based on lies about the EU (which is not undemocratic), lies about sovereignty (which we never lost in the first place), lies about immigration (which has gone up not down), lies about the NHS (which is in a worse state now than before), wonderful trade deals (?), and the lie that we could keep all our EU benefits. We lost our freedom of movement in 30 other countries, while they lost theirs in only one. The main winner was Farage’s chum Putin, who has sewn division in Europe for his own megalomaniacal ends, including by funding far right nationalist parties in other European countries. Nationalism led to two world wars in Europe and countless wars before that. The EU was founded to combat nationalism and ensure peace in Europe “among peoples long divided by bloody conflicts” (see preamble to ECSC Treaty of 1951).