Matt Hancock has become the latest Tory MP to confirm he will not stand at the next general election.
The former health secretary and ‘I’m A Celebrity’ star said he wants to “explore new ways to communicate with people of all ages and from all backgrounds”.
He confirmed his decision in a letter to prime minister Rishi Sunak.
More than a dozen Tory MPs have confirmed they are standing down at the next election as the party faces the prospect of defeat to the Labour Party.
They include another former health secretary, Sajid Javid, and rising star Dehenna Davison.
Hancock - who came third in the ITV reality show - said it “has been a huge honour to serve” as MP for West Suffolk since first being elected in 2010.
But he said he now wanted to “influence the public debate” from outside parliament - suggesting that he plans to continue his re-brand as a TV celebrity.
“I have increasingly come to believe that for a healthy democracy we must find new ways to reach people – especially those who are disengaged with politics,” Hancock said.
“The revival of modern conservatism over the next decade will I suspect take place as much outside parliament as in it.
“For my part, I want to do things differently. I have discovered a whole new world of possibilities which I am excited to explore – new ways for me to communicate with people of all ages and from all backgrounds.
“I look forward to championing the issues that are dear to my heart, including better support for dyslexic children who get a raw deal from the education system.”
Hancock was stripped of the Conservative Party whip when it emerged that he had signed up for ‘I’m A Celebrity’.
But he revealed in his letter that he had been told by the chief whip that he would get it back “in due course”.
“That is now not necessary,” he said, indicating that he plans to continue sitting as an independent until the next election.