More than 50 MPs have announced they are standing down ahead of the December 12 general election, with some hinted at the toxic nature of modern politics during a wave of announcements.
Former cabinet minister Amber Rudd, who resigned from the cabinet and surrendered the Tory whip over
Brexit in September, was among the latest in a series of high-profile parliamentarians to say they were getting out of Westminster.
She was followed by former cabinet colleague Nicky Morgan, the culture secretary, who alluded to the “clear impact on my family and the other sacrifices involved in, and the abuse for, doing the job of a modern MP”.
On Wednesday, Tory former de-facto deputy prime minister Sir David Lidington and Conservative grandee Sir Patrick McLoughlin also said they would not seek re-election.
Tory grandee Keith Simpson, who is also standing down, warned the prime minister he might end up losing the
election because of the exodus.
“So many good colleagues from One Nation standing down with Liders, Sir Patrick, Alan Duncan and now Nicky Morgan,” he said on Twitter.
“Boris may get back some Brexiteer Tory and
Labour voters but he is losing the Liberal Conservatives. How not to get a majority.”
They followed Ken Clarke, the longest serving MP in the House of Commons, and the Speaker of the House John Bercow giving notice before the vote was called this week.
Underlining the fraught state of politics, Liberal Democrat MP Heidi Allen on Tuesday said she will not stand as she declared that Brexit has “broken our politics”.
The former Tory said she is “exhausted by the invasion into my privacy and the nastiness and intimidation that has become commonplace”, adding that lines are too often crossed and the effect is “utterly dehumanising”.Here’s a full list of those stepping aside:1. Heidi Allen Lib Dem MP for South Cambridgeshire PA Wire/PA Images2. Adrian Bailey Labour MP for West Bromwich West PA Archive/PA Images3. Sir Kevin Barron Labour MP for Rother Valley PA Archive/PA Images4. Guto Bebb Independent MP for Aberconwy ISABEL INFANTES via Getty Images5. John Bercow MP for Buckingham and Commons speaker PA Wire/PA Images6. Richard Benyon Conservative MP for Newbury PA Archive/PA Images7. Roberta Blackman-Woods Labour MP for City of Durham John Stillwell - PA Images via Getty Images8. Nick Boles Independent MP for Grantham House of Commons - PA Images via Getty Images9. Alistair Burt Conservative MP for North East Bedfordshire ASSOCIATED PRESS10. Sir Vince Cable Lib Dem MP for Twickenham NurPhoto via Getty Images11. Ronnie Campbell Labour MP for Blyth Valley Owen Humphreys - PA Images via Getty Images12. Kenneth Clarke Independent MP for Rushcliffe ISABEL INFANTES via Getty Images13. Ann Clwyd Labour MP for Cynon Valley ODD ANDERSEN via Getty Images14. Jim Cunningham Labour MP for Coventry South Jeff Overs via Getty Images15. Glyn Davies Conservative MP for Montgomeryshire PA Archive/PA Images16. Mims Davies Conservative MP for Eastleigh Barcroft Media via Getty Images17. Gloria De Piero Labour MP for Ashfield David Mirzoeff - PA Images via Getty Images18. Louise Ellman Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside Dan Kitwood via Getty Images19. Sir Alan Duncan Conservative MP for Rutland and Melton PA Wire/PA Images20. Sir Michael Fallon Conservative MP for Sevenoaks PA Archive/PA Images21. Paul Farrelly Labour MP for Newcastle-Under-Lyme PA Archive/PA Images22. Mark Field Conservative MP for Cities of
London and Westminster PA Archive/PA Images23. Jim Fitzpatrick Labour MP for Poplar and Limehouse PA Archive/PA Images24. Justine Greening Independent MP for Putney WPA Pool via Getty Images25. Richard Harrington Conservative MP for Watford PA Archive/PA ImagesNews: I have today written to the chairman of #NDevon Conservative Association to say that I am standing down from Parliament for personal reasons. My letter attached. It has been an honour and a privilege to serve North Devon. Thank you. pic.twitter.com/cViEyCP4Jb— Peter Heaton-JonesMP (@PeterNorthDevon) October 30, 201926. Peter Heaton-Jones Conservative MP for North Devon 27. Nick Hurd Conservative MP for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner ASSOCIATED PRESS28. Kate Hoey Labour MP for Vauxhall EMPICS Entertainment29. Jo Johnson Conservative MP for Orpington PA Wire/PA Images30. David Jones Conservative MP for Clywd West PA Archive/PA Images31. Helen Jones Labour MP for Warrington North UK Parliament32. Seema Kennedy Conservative MP for South Ribble ASSOCIATED PRESS33. Norman Lamb Lib Dem MP for North Norfolk Matt Cardy via Getty Images34. Jeremy Lefroy Conservative MP for Stafford PA Archive/PA Images35. Sir Oliver Letwin Independent MP for West Dorset Stefan Rousseau - PA Images via Getty Images36. Sir David Lidington Conservative MP for Aylesbury PA Wire/PA Images37. Ian Lucas Labour MP for Wrexham PA Archive/PA Images38. John Mann Labour MP for Bassetlaw Yui Mok - PA Images via Getty Images39. Patrick McLoughlin Conservative MP for West Derbyshire PA Wire/PA Images40. Nicky Morgan Conservative MP for Loughborough ASSOCIATED PRESS41. Sarah Newton Conservative MP for Truro and Falmouth Dan Mullan via Getty Images42. Albert Owen Labour MP for Ynys Mon Flying Colours via Getty Images43. Teresa Pearce Labour MP for Erith and Thamesmead PA Archive/PA Images44. Stephen Pound Labour MP for Ealing North PA Wire/PA Images45. Claire Perry Conservative MP for Devizes ASSOCIATED PRESS46. Mark Prisk Conservative MP for Hertford & Stortford PA Archive/PA Images47. Geoffrey Robinson Labour MP for Coventry North West PA Archive/PA Images48. Amber Rudd Conservative MP for Hastings and Rye PA Wire/PA Images49. Joan Ryan Change
UK MP for Enfield North SOPA Images via Getty Images50. Keith Simpson Conservative MP for Broadland PA Archive/PA Images51. Sir Nicholas Soames Conservative MP for Mid Sussex PA Wire/PA Images52. Owen Smith Labour MP for Pontypridd Anadolu Agency via Getty Images53. Caroline Spelman Conservative MP for Meriden EMPICS Entertainment54. Rory Stewart Conservative MP for Penrith and The Border PA Wire/PA Images55. Sir Hugo Swire Conservative MP for East Devon PA Archive/PA Images56. David Tredinnick Conservative MP for Bosworth Flying Colours via Getty Images57. Stephen Twigg Labour MP for
Liverpool West Derby PA Archive/PA ImagesRelated... Cabinet Minister Nicky Morgan To Quit As An MP At The Election Amber Rudd And David Lidington Will Not Stand In Forthcoming General Election Lib Dem’s Heidi Allen To Step Down Over Brexit ‘Nastiness And Intimidation’