Former Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May will quit as an MP at the next election, she has announced.
The ex-Tory leader made the announcement to a local paper in her constituency, the Maidenhead Advertiser, and said she’d now focus on causes “close to my heart.
She said this included launching a Global Commission on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking.
She was first elected to Parliament in 1997 to represent the newly-established constituency of Maidenhead. She was the longest-serving UK home secretary in history, from May 2010 to July 2016.
After David Cameron quit as prime minister following the Brexit referendum, she was elected Tory leader and UK prime minister in 2016, but her tenure was marked by wrangling over Brexit.
In a tear-filled resignation speech, she quit in 2019, before taking up a vocal backbench role.
Speaking to the advertiser, she said: “It has been an honour and a privilege to serve everyone in the Maidenhead constituency as the Member of Parliament for the last 27 years.
“Being an MP is about service to one’s constituents and I have always done my best to ensure that I respond to the needs of local people and the local area.
“Since stepping down as Prime Minister I have enjoyed being a backbencher again and having more time to work for my constituents and champion causes close to my heart including most recently launching a Global Commission on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking.
“These causes have been taking an increasing amount of my time.
“Because of this, after much careful thought and consideration, I have realised that, looking ahead, I would no longer be able to do my job as an MP in the way I believe is right and my constituents deserve.
“I have therefore taken the difficult decision to stand down at the next General Election.”
Theresa May follows a long line of Conservative MPs, now more than 60, who have said they will quit at the next General Election, with the party massively behind in the polls and staring down the barrel of a once-in-a-generation defeat to Labour.
Numerous MPs have also had the whip withdrawn by the Tories bringing their majority to just 40 or so.