All the Tory MPs standing down at the next general election
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The number of Tory MPs standing down at the general election has now broken the Conservative Party record set in 1997 when Labour won a landslide under Sir Tony Blair.
Seventy-eight Tories have now said they plan to quit Parliament rather than face re-election, with a poll expected in 2024.
There are fears the Conservatives are on track to suffer a heavy defeat, with The Telegraph’s poll of polls currently putting Labour at around 20 percentage points ahead of the governing party among voters.
These are all of the Tory MPs who have confirmed they will step aside:
All the Tory MPs standing down at the next general election
Andrea Leadsom
South Northants
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Michael Gove
Surrey Heath
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Sir David Evennett
Bexleyheath and Crayford
Craig Mackinlay
South Thanet
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Sir John Redwood
Wokingham
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Bob Stewart
Beckenham
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Matt Hancock
West Suffolk
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Sir Michael Ellis
Northampton North
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Huw Merriman
Bexhill and Battle
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James Grundy
Leigh
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Dame Eleanor Laing
Epping Forest
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Jo Churchill
Bury St Edmunds
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Tim Loughton
East Worthing and Shoreham
Robert Halfon
Harlow
Tracey Crouch
Chatham and Aylesford
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Nickie Aiken
Cities of London and Westminster
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Kwasi Kwarteng
Spelthorne
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Sir Bob Neill
Bromley and Chislehurst
Oliver Heald
North East Hertfordshire
Nick Gibb
Bognor Regis and Littlehampton
Mike Freer
Finchley and Golders Green
Jamie Wallis
Bridgend
Sir James Duddridge
Rochford and Southend East
Lisa Cameron
East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow
John Baron
Basildon and Billericay
Chris Grayling
Epsom and Ewell
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Alok Sharma
Reading West
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David Jones
Clwyd West
Stephen Hammond
Wimbledon
Stuart Andrew
Pudsey
Trudy Harrison
Copeland
Ben Wallace
Wyre and Preston North
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Chris Clarkson
Heywood and Middleton
Greg Knight
East Yorkshire
Steve Brine
Winchester
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Lucy Allan
Telford
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Sir Bill Cash
Stone
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Royston Smith
Southampton, Itchen
Will Quince
Colchester
Andy Carter
Warrington South
Philip Dunne
Ludlow
Dominic Raab
Esher and Walton
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Richard Bacon
South Norfolk
Sir Robert Goodwill
Scarborough and Whitby
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Alister Jack
Dumfries and Galloway
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Matthew Offord
Hendon
Jonathan Djanogly
Huntingdon
John Howell
Henley
Henry Smith
Crawley
Craig Whittaker
Calder Valley
Gordon Henderson
Sittingbourne and Sheppey
Nicola Richards
West Bromwich East
Pauline Latham
Mid Derbyshire
Sir Graham Brady
Altrincham and Sale West
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Robin Walker
Worcester
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Stephen McPartland
Stevenage
Paul Beresford
Mole Valley
Jo Gideon
Stoke-on-Trent Central
Edward Timpson
Eddisbury
George Eustice
Camborne and Redruth
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Mark Pawsey
Rugby
Douglas Ross
Moray
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Andrew Percy
Brigg and Goole
Chloe Smith
Norwich North
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Adam Afriyie
Windsor
Sir Gary Streeter
South West Devon
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Dehenna Davison
Bishop Auckland
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Sir Charles Walker
Broxbourne
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Sajid Javid
Bromsgrove
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James Heappey
Wells
Sir Brandon Lewis
Great Yarmouth
Theresa May
Maidenhead
Paul Scully
Sutton and Cheam
Mike Penning
Hemel Hempstead
Kieran Mullan
Crewe and Nantwich
Nadhim Zahawi
Stratford-on-Avon
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Chris Heaton-Harris
Daventry
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Nadhim Zahawi
The former chancellor said in a letter published on Twitter that he had “come to feel that the time is right for a new, energetic Conservative to fight for the honour of representing Stratford-on-Avon and assuming the mantle of MP for Shakespeare”.
He added: “Parting is such sweet sorrow. I would like to thank all of my parliamentary staff and colleagues, civil service officials, special advisers, and everyone else who has ever given me advice, praise, or kept me in check with criticism.
“My mistakes have been mine, and my successes have come from working with, and leading, amazing people.”
Dominic Raab
Mr Raab, the former deputy prime minister and justice secretary, cited “increasing concern” about pressure placed on his young family when he announced his intention to step down shortly after quitting the Cabinet over bullying claims from civil servants. He has also held the titles of Brexit secretary and foreign secretary.
Sir John Redwood
Sir John, a former Cabinet minister who served as the head of Margaret Thatcher’s No10 policy unit, became the 73rd Tory MP to stand down on May 24, two days after the election was called.
Sir John, who entered Parliament in 1987, wrote on his website: “I have decided not to put my name forward in the forthcoming election. I have other things I wish to do.
“It has been a privilege to represent Wokingham in nine Parliaments. I have drawn many of my campaigns from the views I have heard on doorsteps and read in my email box. We have achieved good things together for our local community and the wider nation.”
Craig Mackinlay
Craig Mackinlay, who was welcomed back into the Commons on May 22 after losing his arms and legs to sepsis, was reported to have stood down two days after.
In a statement given to GB News, Mr Mackinlay said: “Whilst my heart tells me to stand again, there being so much unfinished business across local regeneration and national issues which are important to me, my head knows this to be impossible at this time.
“It would be difficult to withstand the rigours of an all-out election campaign, a campaign that I’d always wish to lead from the front. Thereafter, upon being re-elected it would be difficult for me to sustain 70 to 80 hour working weeks which were the norm prior to my illness.”
Matt Hancock
The former health secretary announced in December that he would not be standing for re-election.
At the time he was an independent MP, after he had the whip suspended over his appearance on I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here.
However, on Thursday the Conservatives restored the whip for Mr Hancock, meaning he will officially stand down as a Tory MP.
Michael Gove
Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, announced on May 24 he is stepping down as an MP.
Mr Gove said: “After nearly twenty years serving the wonderful people of Surrey Heath and over a decade in Cabinet across five government departments, I have today taken the decision to step down as a Member of Parliament.”
In a letter shared on Twitter, formerly X, Mr Gove, 56, cited the “toll” of serving in office and that it was a time for a “new generation to lead”.
Chris Heaton-Harris
The Northern Ireland Secretary has said he will step down at the next general election. The MP, who has been a Cabinet minister since 2022, asked Rishi Sunak if he would be able to stay on in his position until the election.
Mr Heaton-Harris said it had been an “honour and a privilege to serve”, and thanked his constituents in Daventry.
He also thanked Mr Sunak and former prime ministers Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, saying he would continue to campaign for the Conservatives as the “only party that has and can deliver for the whole of the United Kingdom”.
Dame Andrea Leadsom
A former business secretary and Tory leadership contender, Dame Andrea confirmed on May 24 that she would not be standing for re-election. The MP for South Northamptonshire, who has served her constituency since 2010, made the final two in the Tory leadership race in 2016 but subsequently quit the race amid a public outcry after appearing to suggest that being a mother made her better placed to become prime minister than Theresa May.
Sajid Javid
The MP for Bromsgrove since 2010, Mr Javid has served in six different Cabinet posts during the Tories’ time in power as culture secretary, business secretary, housing secretary, home secretary, chancellor and health secretary. He has remained on the back benches during Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak’s premierships.
Sir Charles Walker
Sir Charles, who sat as the chairman of the procedure committee between 2012 and 2019, emerged as one of the biggest lockdown sceptics in Parliament, carrying a milk bottle around Westminster to protest against restrictions. He was an arch-critic of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, branding her government “an absolute disgrace” led by “a group of talentless people”.
Sir Graham Brady
Sir Graham has been the chairman of the influential 1922 Committee of backbenchers, who confirmed earlier this year he will no longer represent Altrincham and Sale after winning the seat in 1997.
Douglas Ross
Mr Ross, who is both an MP and a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP), currently leads the Scottish Tories. He has confirmed he will not seek re-election as an MP next time around.
Kwasi Kwarteng
Mr Kwarteng, the former chancellor, announced on Feb 6 2024 he will stand down as an MP at the next general election.
Mr Kwarteng, who represents the constituency of Spelthorne, Surrey, said he had told his constituency association he would not stand at the next contest.
He wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “It has been an honour to serve the residents of Spelthorne since 2010, and I shall continue to do so for the remainder of my time in Parliament.”
Dehenna Davison
Ms Davison, 29, was elected as the first ever Tory MP for the ‘Red Wall’ seat of Bishop Aukland in its 134-year history at the 2019 general election. A minister at the Department for Levelling Up, she said on announcing her resignation she hadn’t had “anything like a normal life for a twenty-something”.
Sir Gary Streeter
Sir Gary is stepping down from Parliament after more than 30 years, having been the Tory MP for South West Devon since 1992.
Chloe Smith
Ms Smith, the MP for Norwich North since 2009, was one of Liz Truss’s most prominent backers, serving firstly as her work and pensions secretary and then as Rishi Sunak’s temporary science secretary during Michelle Donelan’s maternity leave.
George Eustice
An MP since 2010, Mr Eustice was Mr Johnson’s environment secretary between 2020 and 2022.
Robin Walker
A former education minister, Mr Walker is currently the chairman of the Commons education select committee.
Alister Jack
The current Scottish Secretary, Mr Jack has confirmed he will stand down at the next election but ruled out accepting a peerage in Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list despite being nominated by the Prime Minister.
Sir Robert Goodwill
A former education, immigration and transport minister, Sir Robert is currently the chairman of the Commons environment, food and rural affairs select committee.
Sir Bill Cash
Sir Bill, the MP for Stone in Staffordshire and an arch-Eurosceptic, has said it will be a “big wrench” to leave Parliament. Aged 83, he is the oldest member of the Commons.
Lucy Allan
Ms Allan, the MP for Telford in Shropshire since 2015, announced her intention to quit with a broadside at the Government, writing: “Today’s Conservative Party is just not interested in seats like Telford anymore.”
Steve Brine
Mr Brine, who broke lobbying rules in a WhatsApp exchange revealed by The Telegraph’s Lockdown Files investigation, said it was time for him to consider a “new chapter” in his life.
Ben Wallace
Mr Wallace, who has served as Defence Secretary since July 2019, has announced he will not fight the next election but ruled out leaving Parliament “prematurely”. He will also step down from his Cabinet role at the next reshuffle.
Alok Sharma
The Tory former cabinet minister and Cop26 president, who led the United Nations climate change conference in Glasgow two years ago, said he will continue to champion “climate action” in Parliament for the remainder of his time as an MP.
Chris Grayling
The former transport secretary has been MP for Epsom and Ewell since 2001 and served in the Cameron and May administrations. He said he had been successfully treated for prostate cancer earlier this year, but the diagnosis had led him to decide it was “time for a change”.
Nickie Aiken
Nickie Aiken, the deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, announced she would stand down at the next general election on Feb 7.
Ms Aiken is married to Alex Aiken, the Government’s executive director of communications. It also emerged on Feb 7 that Mr Aiken will leave his post to take a job at the United Arab Emirates’s foreign ministry.
Tracey Crouch
Ms Crouch is a former minister who chaired a review of English football. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020 and completed treatment the following year.
In a letter confirming her departure, she wrote: “The reasons for not wishing to stand are entirely personal and positive. While everyone’s cancer journey is different, for me going through a diagnosis and coming out the other side of treatment has been a life-affirming experience.
“It has been an opportunity to pause and reflect on my own personal priorities and based on that I truly believe it is time to seek a new professional challenge.”
Jo Churchill
The employment minister confirmed the day after the general election was called that she would stand down.
Ms Churchill, who represented Bury St Edmunds since the 2015 election, shared a letter she wrote to Rishi Sunak on April 26 in which she assured him of her “constant support” during the campaign and said she had decided not to contest the next national poll for “family reasons”.
Dame Eleanor Laing
The Commons deputy speaker tweeted that it was “time for me to move aside and give others the opportunities that I’ve been fortunate to have”.
James Grundy
The Red Wall MP who entered Parliament in 2019 announced on Thursday that he would step down.
He said: “It is fair to say that the last few years have perhaps been the most challenging Parliament since the one that sat during the Second World War.
“There has also been a saddening change in the political climate where increasingly politicians, their families and staff are seen as fair game for abuse, threats of violence or even death threats.
He added: “This is not healthy for our national politics and needs to change, and with that in mind I have decided not to seek re-election.”
Huw Merriman
The Tory MP for Bexhill and Battle, who was first elected in 2015, has been rail minister since October 2022.
Sir Michael Ellis
The Tory MP for Northampton North, became the fifth Conservative to announce they are standing down at the next election the day after Mr Sunak announced it would take place on July 4.
Bob Stewart
Mr Stewart has also had the whip restored after surrendering it in November 2023.
Mr Stewart, who has represented the south-east London constituency of Beckenham, said he would leave Parliament in November 2023 after being convicted of a racially aggravated public order offence.
The conviction was quashed in February this year.
