Mapped: All the MPs standing down at the next election as Theresa May calls it a day

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Former prime minister Theresa Might has introduced she won’t stand on the subsequent normal election in essentially the most high-profile departure from parliament since Boris Johnson was ousted in a recall petition.

In an article for her native newspaper the Maidenhead Advertiser, Ms Might stated it had been a “difficult choice” to step away from Westminster after greater than 27 years as an MP.

“It has been an honour and a privilege to serve everybody within the Maidenhead constituency because the Member of Parliament for the final 27 years,” she stated.

Ms Might, 67, would have been defending a majority of 18,846 had she determined to run once more in her Berkshire constituency, the place she was first elected in 1997, bucking the nationwide development to win in Labour’s landslide.

She joins a rising variety of Conservative MPs deciding to stop politics, together with a number of high-profile ex-cabinet secretaries and different ministers.

Alok Sharma, the previous Cop26 president, has introduced he would stand down on the subsequent normal election, saying it had been the “honour” of his life to have served as an MP.

Mr Sharma, who represents Studying West and beforehand held the enterprise secretary transient.

Sajid Javid, the previous well being secretary, Dominic Raab, the ex-justice secretary and Ben Wallace, the lately departed defence secretary – all of whom had been at one time touted as potential future Tory leaders – are among the many different big-name Conservatives who’ve referred to as it a day as their get together struggles within the polls.

Mr Sharma and Mr Raab, who resigned from his cupboard place following a slew of bullying allegations which he denied, would have been defending majorities of fewer than 5,000 votes on the subsequent nationwide ballot.

Most MPs strolling away from Westminster are Conservatives, which is unsurprising given they’re the largest get together, profitable 365 seats on the 2019 election.

In response to the Institute for Authorities, the 2010 election noticed greater than 100 MPs stand down, primarily from the Labour Celebration, which had been in energy since 1997.

Some MPs additionally introduced they had been standing down after the bills scandal the identical yr.

Of all of the 96 MPs standing down forward of the following nationwide ballot – anticipated within the spring or summer season of subsequent yr – greater than 60 are Conservatives.

Harriet Harman, the previous Labour chief, Margaret Beckett, the previous international secretary, and Ben Bradshaw, the previous tradition secretary are among the many 17 Labour MPs standing down.

Eight SNP MPs, three independents – together with former well being secretary Matt Hancock – one Inexperienced, one Plaid Cymru and one Sin Feinn MP have additionally determined to name it a day.

Though the Conservatives have essentially the most MPs quitting, the SNP can have the very best turnover following the following election. The eight standing down equates to almost a fifth of the get together’s MPs.

The Conservative Celebration is heading in the right direction for a heavy defeat on the subsequent election, in response to most surveys, with the Politico web site’s “ballot of polls” giving Labour a 17 per cent lead.

The opposition has additionally narrowed the hole in Scotland the place the SNP has dominated politics since coming to energy north of the border in 2007.