I would like to express my immense appreciation to the people of Oxford East for their kindness and generosity during my two-and-a-half years as their Green Party parliamentary candidate.

It was a great honour to support the inspiring local campaigners who fought to save Warneford Meadow and to stop post office closures and job losses in Oxfordshire NHS.

I hope others will pursue my proposal to close the ugly Worcester Street car park and reopen the canal basin as a first-class city centre leisure amenity.

Standing down as the Green candidate has been a painful, distressing decision. I am sorry to disappoint the many people who put their faith and confidence in me.

Sadly, the brain damage inflicted by President Mugabe’s minders and by Moscow neo-Nazis means that I would not be able to campaign effectively in the General Election or do the duties required of an MP. It would not be right for me to seek election if I could not do the job of an MP to the high standards that I want and that Oxford East voters have a right to expect.

If I were elected, I could manage either the parliamentary duties or the constituency work.

But my health is not strong enough for me to do both. I was looking forward to the General Election and boosting the Green vote. My decison to stand down is a huge frustration.

Oxford East is a target Green seat. In the county elections in June, the Greens were neck-and-neck with the Liberal Democrats as the main challenger to Labour.

The European elections saw the Greens win in Oxford East, well ahead of Labour, the Lib Dems and the Conservatives.

In my heart, I want to continue as the candidate but doctors’ advice is that I need to cut back my commitments to help repair some of the brain damage. I am, however, not giving up my human rights work entirely. My campaigning will continue – although at a less intense pace than before.

I will be in Oxford during the General Election to support whoever is chosen to replace me as the Green candidate. My best wishes and thanks to all the people of Oxford.

Peter Tatchell London Road Oxford