Former MP John Barritt has confirmed that he will not be running as an independent candidate in the upcoming General Election.

Mr Barritt initially released a statement on bernews.com last night saying that he had made the decision despite spending some time canvassing and “with some reluctance”.

He acknowledged that he had left his candidacy too late and had not anticipated an early election.

“I wish to confirm that I have decided not to offer myself as a candidate in the forthcoming election,” Mr Barritt said.

“It is with some reluctance that I make this decision having first floated that I might run; indeed I have spent some time canvassing and discussing a possible candidacy with voters, and as recently as this weekend. But I have to also be realistic. I regret that I left my candidacy too late. I had not anticipated an early election when I first started canvassing and I had a prior commitment which saw me fly out the day the election was called and was thus abroad for the first 12 days of the election campaign.

“I have been struggling to catch up ever since. This is because it has always been my practice and my goal to visit voters on their doorsteps, in their living rooms, and in their kitchens, to hear what they think and what they have to say before convincing them to vote for me. This time around it was even more important to have those conversations with voters when seeking their support as an independent candidate.

“But based on my canvassing to date, I have to accept that even with the best will in the world, it will not be possible to visit with literally hundreds of voters and there are well over 300 voters, who are new to the constituency and thus to me, due in large part to boundary changes that occurred to my former constituency of Devonshire South Central after I stepped down six years ago.”

Mr Barritt retired from politics in November 2011 to make way for former OBA leader Craig Cannonier, who took on the Devonshire South Central seat.

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