Profile: Patricia Hewitt

Former health secretary who is standing down at the general election Former Labour cabinet minister Patricia Hewitt announced last June she is to stand down at the next election. A spokeswoman for the Leicester West MP categorically denied that her decision was in any way linked to the MPs' expenses scandal. The former health secretary said in a statement: "This has been a very difficult decision to make but after talking it through with my family I have decided that by the next election this will...