Another Conservative MP has said he will not stand in the next general election.
Chris Skidmore, MP for Kingswood, said in a statement that “there has been no greater honor in my life” than representing the constituency, in south-west England.
“The parliamentary boundary changes will see the constituency of Kingswood cease to exist.
“With no alternative seat, I have decided that I do not want to fight in another constituency in another region or country, especially with a very young family who deserve to see more of their father in their lives.”
Skidmore, 41, released the statement under a tweet that read: “Some thoughts on the future…”.
He now wants to focus his career on the UK’s commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050, which he was responsible for legislating and signing into law, in his role as Cabinet Member for Energy and Clean Growth.
“It’s clear to me that net zero and tackling climate change will be the biggest challenge, but also the biggest opportunity, of our generation,” he said.
“It is this opportunity, to demonstrate how we must protect our environment and our climate for the future, while delivering a new clean and sustainable energy system that moves us all away from fossil fuels, that I now want to turn my attention to a.
“Instead of stepping aside, I hope that in the future I can continue to play my small part in helping to fulfill the energy transition that the world needs.”
Skidmore thanked his constituents for placing their “faith and confidence in me to serve as their local MP”.
He worked jointly at the Department for Education and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy from 10 September 2019 to 13 February 2020.
He previously worked at the Department of Health and Social Care and the Cabinet Office.
Ninth Conservative MP to announce exit plans
Skidmore becomes the ninth Tory MP to announce plans to leave amid growing concerns about the party’s performance in opinion polls.
Image: (L-R) Dehenna Davison and Sir Gary Streeter
His announcement comes after minister and rising star Dehenna Davison, 29, said she would not be returning to the former Labor stronghold of Bishop Auckland.
Sir Gary Streeter, 67, also announced he would stand down at the next election, saying goodbye to the South West Devon constituency he has held comfortably since its conception in 1997.
Other MPs joining the apparent exodus include William Wragg, 34, and Chloe Smith, 40, as the relatively young ages of many who plan to leave raise alarm in the party.
An Ipsos poll earlier this week revealed the Conservative’s popularity had fallen to 26%, his lowest score in 15 years.
The party has struggled to regain public confidence after Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-budget unleashed “totally catastrophic” consequences for the economy, sending the pound crashing.
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2:53 Jeremy Hunt has said he regrets the turmoil caused by Liz Truss’s mini-budget, but does not believe it has caused long-term economic damage.
On Thursday, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said he regretted the turmoil of recent months, described as “12 weeks of Tory chaos” by Labour’s shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves.
But he refused to accept the mini-budget which inflicted £30 billion worth of damage.
“I don’t think there’s been a long-term impact because the measures they put in were reversed so quickly,” Hunt told Sky News’ Beth Rigby Interviews programme.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also refused to apologize six times for the financial pain his predecessor had inflicted on millions across the country.