One of the most powerful roles in the European Union could switch from one resident of the district to another in the autumn.
Confirmed Euro-sceptic Peter Lilley, MP for Hitchin and Harpenden, told the BBC’s Newsnight programme that he would accept the position of the UK’s next European commissioner if he was offered it.
Should that happen, he would succeed Labour peer Baroness Cathy Ashton, who comes from St Albans and is currently the holder of the £250,000 a year role.
Mr Lilley, who was MP for St Albans before switching to the newly-formed Hitchin and Harpenden constituency when boundaries were changed, has been mooted as a possible EU commissioner since the start of the year. His name has been bandied about alongside the likes of Andrew Mitchell and Andrew Lansley.
He told Newsnight that if he was offered the role, he would accept it because he thought it was a very important job.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here