All the Tory MPs standing down as Sunak ‘eyes October election’

More than 50 Conservative MPs have announced they will not stand as an MP at the next general election, as the party faces up to the prospect of a defeat by Labour.

Sir Keir Starmer’s party has consistently been 20 points ahead of the Tories in the polls, and there have been predictions that his party is heading for government.

The date of the election has not been set, but Rishi Sunak has suggested it is planned for the “second half of this year”.

According to The Sunday Times, Tory election director Isaac Levido has pencilled in polling day for 14 November, nine days after the US presidential election.

But The Sun has reported that Mr Sunak is now considering an October election amid concerns over the fallout if Donald Trump wins in the US.

Labour is reportedly still preparing for a spring election, which would mean the most likely date would be 2 May to coincide with the next round of local elections.

Amid fears over their party’s electoral prospects, and changes to constituency boundaries that will come into effect at the next election, many Tory MPs are also standing down.

Brigg and Goole MP Andrew Percy stated he was stepping aside because his seat would be abolished and split four ways. There is speculation that many of his colleagues are quitting because the new boundaries will make it harder to retain their seats.

Here are all the current Conservative MPs who have announced they are standing down at the next election:

Kwasi Kwarteng, Spelthorne

Former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng has been hit by rising interest rates on his tracker mortgage (Photo: Toby Melville/Reuters) — Former chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng is the latest Tory MP to announce he is standing down (Photo: Toby Melville/Reuters)

The former chancellor, who has been an MP since 2010, announced this week that he would not stand again at the next general election.

Mr Kwarteng was chancellor for just 38 days under Liz Truss’s short-lived administration and was sacked after his mini-Budget caused market turmoil. Ms Truss resigned a few days later.

He was also business secretary under Boris Johnson, and a held junior ministerial posts in the Department for Exiting the European Union under Theresa May.

In March 2023, Mr Kwarteng and former health secretary Matt Hancock were caught in a sting operation set up by campaign group Led By Donkeys, during which they both agreed to advise a fake South Korean company for a £10,000 fee.

Sajid Javid, Bromsgrove

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 29: Britain's former Health Secretary Sajid Javid arrives to testify at the Covid inquiry on November 29, 2023 in London, England. Professor Dame Jenny Harries, former Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Chief Executive of the UK Health Security Agency, Sajid Javid, former Health Secretary and Dominic Raab, former Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary, will face questioning in phase 2 of the Covid-19 Inquiry over government decision-making during the pandemic. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) — Former health secretary Sajid Javid (Photo: Carl Court/Getty)

Mr Javid, first elected to the Commons in 2010, announced he was standing down in December 2022. He described his position as an “incredible privilege”, remarking that he will “continue to support the government and the causes I believe in.”

Mr Javid has held several ministerial positions since 2012, including serving as home secretary under Theresa May and chancellor under Boris Johnson.

He has also held Cabinet posts covering housing, business and culture, as well as junior roles in the Treasury and Cabinet Office.

The MP is perhaps most known for his dramatic exit from No 11, when he quit as chancellor following a dispute with Mr Johnson’s then adviser, Dominic Cummings.

He also famously quit as health secretary in July 2022, the first of dozens of ministers to step down in protest over Mr Johnson’s leadership, which ultimately led to his resignation as prime minister.

Dominic Raab, Esher and Walton

File photo dated 18/04/23 of former deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab, who resigned from Cabinet last month after a bullying inquiry, has said he will stand down at the next general election. Issue date: Monday May 22, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story POLITICS Raab. Photo credit should read: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire — Dominic Raab resigned from Cabinet after a bullying inquiry (Photo: Jordan Pettitt/PA)

Mr Raab has been an MP since 2010, and was previously deputy prime minister and justice secretary under Mr Sunak until he resigned in April 2023.

He had faced multiple allegations of bullying and harrassment against members of his staff, and asked the Prime Minister to launch an investigation into the claims.

Shortly after the findings of the report were handed to Mr Sunak, the justice secretary announced his resignation in a strongly-worded letter criticising the probe.

He said that the inquiry had “dismissed all but two of the claims levelled against me” and went on to complain that the findings “set a dangerous precedent for the conduct of good government”.

Mr Raab announced he would quit as an MP at the next election a month after his resignation.

Sir Graham Brady, Altrincham and Sale West

Sir Graham Brady arrives at Conservative party HQ in Westminster, London, after it was announced Rishi Sunak will become the new leader of the Conservative party after rival Penny Mordaunt dropped out. Picture date: Monday October 24, 2022. PA Photo. See PA story POLITICS Tory. Photo credit should read: Aaron Chown/PA Wire — Tory veteran and 1922 Committee chair Sir Graham Brady (Photo: PA)

Sir Graham Brady, the chair of the influential 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers, announced in March 2023 that he would be standing down at the next general election.

He said it had been an “immense privilege” representing Altrincham and Sale West but that he wanted to step down whilst “young enough to pursue other opportunities and interests”.

Sir Graham has been an MP since 1997, but has never held a ministerial post.

As chair of the 1922 Committee – a post he has held since 2010, with a brief interruption in 2019 when he considered a bid for party leadership – Sir Graham has overseen the election and downfall of several Tory prime ministers – from Theresa May to Liz Truss.

His role as the face of the backbench committee gave him the task of publicly announcing the results of Tory leadership confidence votes, and privately telling ailing prime ministers when support for them had disintegrated to the point that resignation was an inevitability.

Ben Wallace, Wyre and Preston North

FILE - British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace speaks during a news conference following his meeting with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu at the British Embassy in Moscow, Russia, Friday, Feb. 11, 2022. Wallace has formally submitted his resignation amid speculation that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will name his successor later in the day. Wallace, who said last month he would resign before the next Cabinet re-shuffle, ended four years in the post that saw him supervise the military response to the war in Ukraine. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool, File) — Ben Wallace resigned as defence secretary in 2023 (Photo: AP)

Mr Wallace announced in September 2023 that he was resigning as defence secretary, having already confirmed several months earlier that he would not be seeking re-election.

He has been MP for Wyre and Preston North since 2005 but said in his resignation letter to Mr Sunak that he now wanted to “invest in the parts of life that I have neglected, and to explore new opportunities”.

In his letter, Mr Wallace named a number of “threats and incidents” he helped co-ordinate a response to during his tenure as defence secretary. “From Wannacry, the 2017 terrorist attacks, the Salisbury poisonings, Afghanistan, Sudan and Ukraine, it has been an honour to serve alongside the men and women of our Armed Forces and intelligence services who sacrifice so much for our security,” he wrote.

Before becoming defence secretary under Mr Johnson he was minister for Northern Ireland under Lord Cameron and minister for security and economic crime under Ms May.

Sir Bill Cash, Stone

Sir Bill Cash is leading a group of Brexiteer lawyers scrutinising the trade deal (Photo: Getty Images) — Sir Bill Cash led a group of Brexiteer lawyers scrutinising the Rwanda legislation (Photo: Getty Images)

Sir Bill has been MP for Stone since 1994 but announced he would not seek re-election in June 2023.

He has held several shadow ministerial posts under former party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, but has never been appointed to government. The outspoken Eurosceptic MP has been chair of the European Scrutiny Committee since 2010.

In the early 90s, Sir Bill was among the Maastricht Rebels who opposed the implementation of the Maastricht Treaty, which established the European Union, into UK law.

He supported the UK leaving the European Union without a deal in 2019, and has since been a vocal critic of both the Windsor Framework and the current Government’s efforts to curb immigration.

He recently led the “star chamber” of legal experts convened by the European Research Group (ERG), which concluded in December that the Rwanda bill was “a partial and incomplete solution to the problem of legal challenges”.

David Jones, Clwyd West

European Research Group (ERG) chair Mark Francois (left), and deputy chair David Jones, speak to the media outside Portcullis House, Westminster, following the release of the 'Star Chamber' of lawyers for the ERG's assessment of Rwanda legislation. MPs will get their first chance to debate and vote on the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill on Tuesday, in a key test of Rishi Sunak's flagship asylum policy. Picture date: Monday December 11, 2023. The Government has insisted the Rwanda scheme, through which asylum seekers in the UK would be deported to Kigali, is a key part of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's plan to "stop the boats" by acting as a deterrent for people seeking to cross the English Channel. PA Photo. See PA story POLITICS Rwanda. Photo credit should read: Lucy North/PA Wire — European Research Group (ERG) chair Mark Francois, left) and deputy chair David Jones (Photo: Lucy North/PA)

Mr Jones has been an MP since 2005, but announced in September 2023 that he would stand down at the next election.

He was previously Welsh secretary under Mr Cameron and a Brexit minister under Ms May. He has long been a prominent member of the ERG and became the group’s deputy chairman in 2020.

Mr Jones has recently been a vocal critic of the Government’s new legislation to strengthen its Rwanda policy, insisting that the bill did not go far enough to address the issue of legal challenges.

Chloe Smith, Norwich North

Britain's Work and Pensions Secretary Chloe Smith arrives to attend the weekly Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street, in London, on October 11, 2022. (Photo by ISABEL INFANTES / AFP) (Photo by ISABEL INFANTES/AFP via Getty Images) — Former work and pensions secretary, Chloe Smith (Photo: Isabel Infantes/AFP)

Ms Smith has served as an MP for the area since 2009, and in 2023 she will become the longest-serving MP for either Norwich constituency in modern history.

When she was first elected, aged 27, she was the youngest MP in the House of Commons at the time.

Ms Smith served as work and pensions secretary during Ms Truss’s brief premiership. The MP also held ministerial posts in the Treasury and Northern Ireland Office.

She did not give a reason for her departure, but thanked her team for supporting her during “tough personal times”.

The MP was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020 and announced she was clear of the disease in 2021.

Douglas Ross, Moray

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND - JANUARY 18: Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross during First Minister's Questions in the Scottish Parliament, on January 18, 2024 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Ken Jack/Getty Images) — Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross during First Minister’s Questions in the Scottish Parliament (Photo: Ken Jack/Getty)

Alongside being an MP since 2017, Mr Ross is also an MSP in Scotland, having represented the Highlands and Islands at Holyrood since 2021.

He is the current leader of the Scottish Conservative Party, and leader of the official opposition in the Scottish parliament.

Mr Ross announced last year that he would be standing down from the Commons to focus more time on his work at Holyrood.

Dehenna Davison, Bishop Auckland

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 04: Dehenna Davison, UK Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities attends a debate at the Conservative Party Conference on October 4, 2022 in Birmingham, England. This year the Conservative Party Conference will be looking at "Getting Britain Moving" with more jobs and higher salaries. However, delegates are arriving at the conference as the party lags 33 points behind Labour in the opinion polls. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images) — Dehenna Davison was only elected in 2019 (Photo: Leon Neal/Getty)

The MP was only elected in the 2019 election and is currently one of the youngest sitting MPs in the Tory Party at age 30.

She was previously parliamentary under secretary of state in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, but stood down from the role due to health concerns.

Announcing she was standing down, Ms Davidson said she now wanted to devote more time to “life outside politics – mainly to my family”.

William Wragg, Hazel Grove

A video grab from footage broadcast by the UK Parliament's Parliamentary Recording Unit (PRU) shows Conservative MP William Wragg, Chair of Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, speaking at a hearing of the committee in London on January 20, 2022. - UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday denied new allegations that his aides had tried to "blackmail" and threaten Conservative rebels, in a potentially criminal twist to Downing Street's "partygate" scandal. Senior Tory William Wragg disclosed the alleged intimidation campaign as Downing Street battles to shore up Johnson against calls from within the party for his resignation. (Photo by PRU / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - NO USE FOR ENTERTAINMENT, SATIRICAL, ADVERTISING PURPOSES - MANDATORY CREDIT " AFP PHOTO / PRU " (Photo by -/PRU/AFP via Getty Images) — William Wragg is chair of Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (Photo: PRU/AFP)

Mr Wragg has been an MP since May 2015 and never held a ministerial position.

He is vice-chairman of the 1922 Committee of Tory backbench MPs and proved to be a fierce critic of Mr Johnson in the wake of the Partygate scandal. He was one of the first to submit a letter of no confidence in him.

Sir Bob Neill, Bromley and Chislehurst

Sir Bob Neill has said he is standing down to spend more time with his wife (Photo: UK Parliament)

Sir Bob has been an MP since 2006 following a by-election in his constituency but announced he was standing down last week.

He was previously a local government minister between 2010 and 2012 and has been the chair of the justice select committee since 2015.

The senior Tory MP said in a letter to his local Conservative association that he was standing down to spend more time with his wife, Ann-Louise, who suffered a stroke in 2019.

Here are all the other Tory MPs that have announced they are standing down:

Adam Afriyie, MP for Windsor since 2005 (2019 majority: 20,079)

Lucy Allan, MP for Telford since 2015 (2019 majority: 10,941)

Richard Bacon, MP for South Norfolk since 2001 (2019 majority: 21,275)

John Baron, MP for Basildon and Billericay since 2001 (2019 majority: 20,412)

Sir Paul Beresford, MP for Mole Valley since 1997 (2019 majority: 12,041)

Steve Brine, MP for Winchester since 2010 (2019 majority: 985)

Chris Clarkson, MP for Heywood and Middleton since 2019 (2019 majority: 663)

Jonathan Djanogly, MP for Huntingdon since 2001 (2019 majority: 19,383)

Sir James Duddridge, MP for Rochford and Southend East since 2005 (2019 majority: 12,286)

Philip Dunne, MP for Ludlow since 2005 (2019 majority: 23,648)

George Eustice, MP for Camborne and Redruth since 2010 (2019 majority: 8,700)

Mike Freer, MP for Finchley and Golders Green since 2010 (2019 majority: 6,562)

Nick Gibb, MP for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton since 1997 (2019 majority: 22,503)

Jo Gideon, MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central since 2019 (2019 majority: 670)

Sir Robert Goodwill, MP for Scarborough and Whitby since 2005 (2019 majority: 10,270)

Chris Grayling, MP for Epsom and Ewell since 2001 (2019 majority: 17,873)

Stephen Hammond, MP for Wimbledon since 2005 (2019 majority: 628)

Trudy Harrison, MP for Copeland since 2017 (2019 majority: 5,842)

Sir Oliver Heald, MP for North East Hertfordshire since 1992 (2019 majority: 18,189)

Gordon Henderson, MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey since 2010 (2019 majority: 24,479)

John Howell, MP for Henley since 2008 (2019 majority: 14,053)

Alister Jack, MP for Dumfries and Galloway since 2017 (2019 majority: 1,805)

Sir Greg Knight, MP for East Yorkshire since 2001 (2019 majority: 22,787)

Pauline Latham, MP for Mid-Derbyshire since 2010 (2019 majority: 15,385)

Stephen McPartland, MP for Stevenage since 2010 (2019 majority: 8,562)

Matthew Offord, MP for Hendon since 2010 (2019 majority: 4,230)

Mark Pawsey, MP for Rugby since 2010 (2019 majority: 13,447)

Sir Mike Penning, MP for Hemel Hempstead since 2005 (2019 majority: 14,563)

Andrew Percy, MP for Brigg and Goole since 2010 (2019 majority: 21,941)

Will Quince, MP for Colchester since 2015 (2019 majority: 9,423)

Sir Alok Sharma, MP for Reading West since 2010 (2019 majority: 4,117)

Royston Smith, MP for Southampton Itchen since 2015 (2019 majority: 4,498)

Sir Gary Streeter, MP for Devon South West (previously MP for Plymouth Sutton 1992-97, MP for then Devon South West since 1997 (2019 majority: 21,430)

Edward Timpson, MP for Eddisbury since 2019 (2019 majority: 18,443)

Sir Charles Walker, MP for Broxbourne since 2005 (2019 majority: 19,807)

Robin Walker, MP for Worcester since 2010 (2019 majority: 6,758)

Craig Whittaker, MP for Calder Valley since 2010 (2019 majority: 5,774)

Here are the former Conservative MPs who have since lost the party whip, and have announced they are standing down:

Crispin Blunt, MP for Reigate since 1997 (2019 majority: 18,310)

Matt Hancock, MP for West Suffolk since 2010 (2019 majority: 23,194)

Julian Knight, MP for Solihull since 2015 (2019 majority: 21,273)

Bob Stewart, MP for Beckenham since 2010 (2019 majority: 14,258)