Tears as Ribble Valley MP sells off his family business in Swansea

10:46am Tuesday 16th October 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Bill Jacobs, Local government reporter

Nigel Evans MP Nigel Evans MP

TEARFUL MP Nigel Evans has sold his family shop after 80 years but vowed to keep on fighting for small businesses nationally and in East Lancashire.

The Ribble Valley Tory spent the weekend in Swansea transferring the newsagents, tobacconists and convenience store to the postmistress round the corner and saying goodbye to staff and customers.

The business was founded by his grandfather in 1932 then run by his mother and father and then him and his sister Louise.

Mr Evans said: “It was a wrench. When I was saying goodbye to the staff and the customers I was very weepy-eyed and when I drove away I just could not look back.

“We’ve had this business in the family for 80 years but my sister Louise said after 20 years she wanted a career change and a holiday. Like many other family businesses we have had to give in to the pressures of being there all day, every day. At last this year I can have the whole family up to Ribble Valley for Christmas.

“I started working there when I was about ten. I took it over when I left university because my father Albert was ill and ran it for ten years before standing for Ribble Valley in 1991 and while my late mother and sister ran it, I used to do occasional shifts there in the holidays.

Mr Evans, who was attacked by a shoplifter while working in the store in 2000, has championed the small and medium sized business community at Westminster, winning an award from the Forum of Private Business for his work on their behalf in 2007.

Comments (10)

1:28pm Tue 16 Oct 12

shytalk says...

Hell now where is he ever going to find a job when he gets kicked out at the next election along with the rest of the corrupt, unelected junta? Workfare at Ultraframe perhaps.
Hell now where is he ever going to find a job when he gets kicked out at the next election along with the rest of the corrupt, unelected junta? Workfare at Ultraframe perhaps. shytalk

2:08pm Tue 16 Oct 12

Malthus says...

shytalk wrote:
Hell now where is he ever going to find a job when he gets kicked out at the next election along with the rest of the corrupt, unelected junta? Workfare at Ultraframe perhaps.
I am certain that there are jobs for people with the right connections on the boards of such companies as Starbucks, Vodaphone, KFC and all of the other multinationals, who are making billions in the UK but allegedly paying very little tax.
[quote][p][bold]shytalk[/bold] wrote: Hell now where is he ever going to find a job when he gets kicked out at the next election along with the rest of the corrupt, unelected junta? Workfare at Ultraframe perhaps.[/p][/quote]I am certain that there are jobs for people with the right connections on the boards of such companies as Starbucks, Vodaphone, KFC and all of the other multinationals, who are making billions in the UK but allegedly paying very little tax. Malthus

3:37pm Tue 16 Oct 12

Noiticer says...

Better to have kept the shop and resigned from Parliament!
Better to have kept the shop and resigned from Parliament! Noiticer

4:08pm Tue 16 Oct 12

Major Tom says...

Mr Evans said: “It was a wrench. When I was saying goodbye to the staff and the customers I was very weepy-eyed and when I drove away I just could not look back. "

Where's my violin. Oh the drama.
Mr Evans said: “It was a wrench. When I was saying goodbye to the staff and the customers I was very weepy-eyed and when I drove away I just could not look back. " Where's my violin. Oh the drama. Major Tom

4:37pm Tue 16 Oct 12

2 for 5p says...

Quote:

, I used to do occasional shifts there in the holidays.

Ok I hope you payed the correct rate of oncome tax on them shifts mr Evans , if it was a single parent working a few shifts on the side iin a local shop, your kind would call them thieves.

In fact I would like you to prove you payed the correct rate of tax.
Quote: , I used to do occasional shifts there in the holidays. Ok I hope you payed the correct rate of oncome tax on them shifts mr Evans , if it was a single parent working a few shifts on the side iin a local shop, your kind would call them thieves. In fact I would like you to prove you payed the correct rate of tax. 2 for 5p

7:02pm Tue 16 Oct 12

2 for 5p says...

The headline in this article needs to change , hows this.

Tory can't Run a sweet shop
The headline in this article needs to change , hows this. Tory can't Run a sweet shop 2 for 5p

7:06pm Tue 16 Oct 12

shytalk says...

2 for 5p wrote:
The headline in this article needs to change , hows this.

Tory can't Run a sweet shop
Better give him a brush and see how he goes on with that.
[quote][p][bold]2 for 5p[/bold] wrote: The headline in this article needs to change , hows this. Tory can't Run a sweet shop[/p][/quote]Better give him a brush and see how he goes on with that. shytalk

8:27pm Tue 16 Oct 12

sen c ble says...

Best of luck for the future, Sir Nigel.
Best of luck for the future, Sir Nigel. sen c ble

8:29am Wed 17 Oct 12

MrClaret says...

All vote labour then?, let have a public paid enquiry into the situation like everything else ed numptyband wants one for.
All vote labour then?, let have a public paid enquiry into the situation like everything else ed numptyband wants one for. MrClaret

8:23am Fri 19 Oct 12

rover95 says...

Oh well Nigel, im sure the holidays "business trips" abroad paid by the tax payer will soon ease the pain.
Oh well Nigel, im sure the holidays "business trips" abroad paid by the tax payer will soon ease the pain. rover95

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