Tom Harris quits frontbench 'to be good husband and father'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-22876943

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Labour's Tom Harris has quit as a shadow minister, saying he has found it impossible to juggle his professional and family responsibilities.

Mr Harris, who has three children, is stepping down from his role as shadow environment spokesman.

He said he must face the "uncomfortable truth" that he could not be an "effective front bencher as well as a good husband and father".

The former minister stood to be Labour leader in Scotland last year.

The MP for Glasgow South was a transport minister under Tony Blair during the last Labour government but was sacked by Gordon Brown in a reshuffle in 2008.

'Fully committed'

In his resignation letter to Labour leader Ed Miliband, he said he had been "delighted" to rejoin the frontbench last year to speak on animal welfare, wildlife, fishing and biodiversity issues.

But he said he had come to the conclusion that juggling his duties in Westminster with his responsibilities to his family, who live 400 miles away, was "beyond" him.

"You and the party need frontbenchers who can fully commit to holding the coalition to account and to doing the hard work necessary to move into government in two years," he wrote.

"I am faced with the uncomfortable truth that my talents, such as they are, do not extend to being an effective front bencher as well as a good husband and father".

Mr Harris has two sons with his wife Carolyn and a son from a former marriage.

The MP attracted headlines in 2010 when he said he was giving up blogging about politics because it was getting him "into too many squabbles" and having a "negative effect" on his private life.

He stood to become leader of Scottish Labour in 2011 but came third behind Johann Lamont.

Mr Harris said he remained "fully committed" to continuing to represent his constituents.