Editing Geoff Hoon (section)

==Backbench MP==
Hoon resigned from his post as Transport Secretary on 5 June 2009 during a [[Cabinet reshuffle]], saying that he wanted to spend more time with his family.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Politics/Gordon-Browns-Reshuffle-Defence-Secretary-Quits-Andy-Burnham-Heads-To-Health/Article/200906115296531 |title=Walkouts and a Wipeout, But Brown Clings On |publisher=[[Sky News]]| date=5 June 2009}}</ref>
On 6 January 2010, he and fellow ex-minister [[Patricia Hewitt]] jointly called for a secret ballot on the future of the leadership of [[Gordon Brown]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/jan/06/hoon-hewitt-gordon-brown-labour |title=Hewitt and Hoon's great gamble |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=6 January 2010 | location=London | first=Martin | last=Kettle | access-date=3 May 2010}}</ref> The following day, he said that it appeared to have failed and was "over". Brown later referred to the call for a secret ballot as a "form of silliness".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8450375.stm |title=Gordon Brown says leadership challenge was 'silliness' |work=[[BBC News Online]]|date=10 January 2010}}</ref> After the failed coup there was a backlash against Hoon which flowed over into his [[Ashfield (UK Parliament constituency)|Ashfield]] constituency in [[Nottinghamshire]] where some Labour party members wanted to deselect him.

During the [[Iraq Inquiry]], Hoon said that the first he knew of the 45-minute Iraq weapon claim was when he read it in the dossier on Iraq's weapons in September 2002.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8466828.stm |title=Iraq inquiry: 45-minute weapon claim 'new' to Hoon |work=[[BBC News Online]] | date=19 January 2010}}</ref>

Hoon had said that he would defend his seat at the [[2010 United Kingdom general election|2010 general election]] but according to the ''[[Financial Times]]'' he had "finally bowed to pressure" and on 11 February 2010, he announced that he would stand down as an [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|MP]] at the [[2010 United Kingdom general election|next election]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c1db96fc-1713-11df-afcf-00144feab49a.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c1db96fc-1713-11df-afcf-00144feab49a.html |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Hoon bows to pressure to step down as MP |newspaper=[[The Financial Times]] |date=11 February 2010}}</ref>
After his retirement from politics he helped to set up a consultancy firm "TaylorHoon Strategy".  He is now Managing Director of International Business at helicopter-maker [[AgustaWestland]].<ref>Agusta Westland Corporate Comms</ref>