A growing number of MPs who were elected as Conservatives have announced they are stepping down from the Commons.
While it may feel like many Tory MPs have already left – triggering plenty of by-elections – dozens more are not looking for another term in parliament, including former PM Theresa May, ex-chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng and former defence secretary Ben Wallace.
It’s a Tory exodus which almost levels with the one seen since in run-up to 1997, when 75 MPs stepped down ahead of a Labour landslide under Tony Blair.
On June 1, it looked like 79 Tories were going to voluntarily leave parliament, but several have since announced their plans to stand elsewhere, revealed they were not selected by the party or lost the whip.
Now that the deadline for all parties to declare their candidates has passed, here is a full list of those Conservatives who are planning to quit frontline politics when the public heads to the polls again.
Which Tory MPs are stepping down at the next general election?
1. Charles Walker
MP for Broxbourne since 2005, Walker was another critic of both Johnson and Truss. Announced in February last year that he would not be standing again, claiming politics had become “a pretty toxic environment”.
2. Mike Penning
The MP for Hemel Hempstead since 2005, Penning has been a minister in several departments and is a popular figure around Parliament. Announcing his decision to stand down, he said: “Whilst I have by no means reached my ‘sell by date’, I may be described as having reached my ‘best before date’.”
3. Adam Afriye
Once tipped as a possible future Tory leader, Afriye has been MP for Windsor since 2005 and has a majority of 20,079.
4. Andrew Percy
Elected as MP for Brigg and Goole in 2010, Percy said: “I’ve done this for about two years longer than I ever planned for.”
5. Chloe Smith
Smith was Parliament’s youngest MP when she was elected in Norwich North in 2009. Most recently she was the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology.
6. Dehenna Davison
Widely seen as a Tory rising star, Davison stunned Westminster when she announced in November that she would not be standing again. She said she had been “humbled” to serve as MP for Bishop Aukland since 2019, but that the “time feels right for me to devote more of my attention to life outside politics”.
7. Gary Streeter
The 62-year-old was first elected as an MP in 1992, and has represented South West Devon since 1997. He said: “The time has come for me to step back and let a younger person take over.”
8. Sajid Javid
An MP since 2010, Javid has held a number of cabinet posts, including health secretary, home secretary and chancellor. He has also stood for the Tory leadership on three occasions. He announced in December that he was quitting as MP for Bromsgrove, saying it had been “an incredible privilege”.
9. Mark Pawsey
He first became MP for Rugby in 2010, and held the seat with a majority of 13,447 in 2019.
10. George Eustice
The former environment secretary is quitting as MP for Camborne and Redruth, which he retained with a majority of 8,700 at the last election. He became an MP in 2010.
11. Edward Timpson
Like Davison, Timpson is another member of the Tories’ 2019 intake standing down, although he was previously MP for Crewe and Nantwich from 2008 until 2019. Currently holds Eddisbury with a majority of 18,443.
12. Jo Gideon
Elected MP for Stoke-on-Central in 2019 as Labour’s red wall crumbled, the 70-year-old said she had “not come to this decision lightly” as she announced she would not be standing again next time round.
13. Stephen McPartland
First elected as MP for Stevenage in 2010, the 46-year-old Liverpudlian said he had decided to stand down at the next election after “much soul searching”.
14. Paul Beresford
MP for the safe Tory seat of Mole Valley since 1997, the 77-year-old announced he was standing down earlier this year.
15. Robin Walker
Yet another member of the 2010 intake to announce they are quitting. The former schools minister is MP for Worcester and has a majority of 6,758.
16. Sir Graham Brady
More famous for chairing the 1922 committee than as MP for Altrincham and Sale West, Brady oversaw the departure of no fewer than three Tory prime ministers from office.
17. Pauline Latham
The 45-year-old has represented Mid-Derbyshire since 2010 and has a majority of 15,385.
18. Gordon Henderson
The 75-year-old was the MP for Sittingbourne & Sheppey since 2010 and has a majority of 24,479.
19. Craig Whittaker
A former whip who has been MP for Calder Valley since 2010, retaining it at the last election with a majority of 5,774.
20. Nicola Richards
Richards is another Red Wall MP quitting after just one term in Parliament, having won Tom Watson’s old seat of West Bromwich East in 2019 by 1,593 in 2019.
21. Henry Smith
Another of the 2010 Tory intake calling it a day, Smith is MP for Crawley and has a majority of 8,360. The 53-year-old says it is time for “a new generation”.
22. John Howell
Howell has been MP for the safe Tory seat of Henley since replacing Boris Johnson in 2008. His decision to stand down led to speculation that the former PM could return to the seat rather than fight the more-marginal Uxbridge and South Ruislip.
23. Robert Goodwill
MP for Scarborough and Whitby since 2005, Goodwill said it was “time to let someone else younger take over”. He has a majority of 10,270.
24. Jonathan Djanogly
He was elected to John Major’s old seat of Huntingdon in 2001 and served as a minister under David Cameron.
25. Matthew Offord
The Hendon MP since 2010, Offord said being a politician “has required great sacrifices in my personal and professional lives”, so had decided to stand down at the next election.
26. Alister Jack
The Secretary of State for Scotland was once tipped to enter the House of Lords as part of Boris Johnson’s resignation honours. He had been MP for Dumfries and Galloway since 2017 and has a majority of 1,805.
27. Richard Bacon
Bacon was elected MP for South Norfolk in 2001 and has a majority of 21,275.
28. Dominic Raab
Raab has packed a lot into his parliamentary career since being elected MP for Esher and Walton in 2010. He quit as justice secretary and deputy prime minister following an investigation into bullying allegations. His seat was also a major target for the Lib Dems.
29. Philip Dunne
The MP for Ludlow since 2005, Dunne held the seat at the last election with a majority of 23,648.
30. Royston Smith
The MP for Southampton Itchen since 2015, Smith announced his decision not to stand again earlier this year. He had a majority of 4,498.
31. Will Quince
The minister for state for health and secondary care became MP for Colchester in 2015 and retained the seat in 2019 with a majority of 9,423.
32. Bill Cash
Veteran Brexiteer who has been an MP since 1984. The 83-year-old - who retained his Stone seat at the last election with a majority of 19,945 - announced he was standing down earlier this year.
33. Steve Brine
The health committee chair was first elected as MP for Winchester in 2010 and had a majority of just 985 in 2019.
34. Greg Knight
The MP for East Yorkshire, previously MP for Derby North, served under the governments of Margaret Thatcher, John Major and David Cameron.
35. Ben Wallace
The long-serving defence secretary surprised many when he announced that he was quitting the cabinet and also leaving parliament at the next election. He retained his Wyre and Preston North seat with a majority of 16,781 in 2019.
36. Trudy Harrison
Harrison won the previously-solid Labour seat of Copeland in a historic by-election in 2017 and was re-elected in 2019 with a majority of 5,842.
Announcing her decision to stand down, she said she thought she would be able “to tackle the national injustices and get national policies that work for our area”, but instead spent a lot of time in London for legislation.
37. Stephen Hammond
The MP for Wimbledon announced he would “not seek the nomination” at the next general election, which he described as “an incredibly tough decision”.
He said he believed the Tories would win, but he and his wife were stretched by increased caring responsibilities for their elderly parents.
38. David Jones
The Welsh secretary during the Tory-Lib Dem coalition, and a Brexit minister during Theresa May’s time in office, Jones announced his retirement in September.
39. Alok Sharma
The full-time president for COP26, and previously the business, energy and industrial strategy secretary, Sharma has held a range of positions in government since he was elected in 2010 for Reading West.
He said it was “not a easy decision”. Sharma was openly critical of the PM for watering down green pledges shortly before he announced he was quitting. His constituency boundaries are set to be altered ahead of the next election.
40. Chris Grayling
The MP for Epsom and Ewell, formerly transport secretary, leader of the House of Commons and Lord Chancellor, will be standing down after a prostate cancer diagnosis.
He has served as an MP for Epsom and Ewell in Surrey since 2001.
41. Jamie Wallis
The MP for Bridgend, who came as transgender in 2022, confirmed he would not be standing in the same seat at the next general election. He said he was seeking a new seat outside Wales but “with a sense of humour”.
42. Lisa Cameron
She defected from the SNP to the Conservatives last autumn, claiming the SNP’s Westminster group had a “toxic culture”. She refused calls for a by-election because she plans to step down at the next election.
43. John Baron
The MP for Basildon and Billericay announced he would be standing down in October, saying: “Although I continue to believe the prime minister will win the next General Election given his competence and compassion, after what will be 23 years’ service I have decided the time has come for me to move on.”
44. Nick Gibb
The MP for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton – and former schools minister – called for Boris Johnson to resign over partygate in 2022.
He announced he would not be standing at the next general election in November, when he resigned his ministerial role.
45. Sir James Duddridge
Duddridge has represented Rockford and Southend East for almost 20 years and was a minister in the foreign office until October 2022.
He said the move was made “with regret”, adding: “I think I have done my time. Forgive me for moving on to do other things.”
46. Oliver Heald
The MP for North East Hertfordshire has served in the Commons for 32 years after winning eight general elections. He served as a justice minister under Theresa May.
Heald said he was quitting to spend more time with his grandchildren and to help his family. He added he was still loyal to the PM and will continue to campaign for the Tories.
47. Mike Freer
The MP for Finchley and Golders Green – who also serves as a justice minister – said ” a constant string of incidents” like threats and abuse led him to stand down at the next election.
He said he narrowly avoided an encounter with Ali Harbi Ali who murdered the Southend West MP Sir David Amess.
48. Robert Neill
The senior Conservative, elected in 2006 for Bromley and Chislehurst, announced his decision in February.
Neill said he concluded he needed to step down to spend more time supporting his wife Ann-Louise after she had a stroke in 2019.
49. Kwasi Kwarteng
The MP for Spelthorne was first elected in 2010, but is best known for his exceptionally brief time as chancellor under Liz Truss.
Together they unveiled the disastrous mini-budget which crashed the economy. Truss quickly gave him the sack, only to be booted out herself days later.
He did not explain why he was not standing as Spelthorne’s candidate again in February, saying only that it “has been an honour” to serve his constituents.
50. Nickie Aiken
The Cities of London and Westminster MP, first elected in 2019, revealed her decision to leave parliament in February. She said she was leaving parliament after her husband had accepted a job overseas.
51. Tracey Crouch
The former sports minister and MP for Chatham and Aylesford announced she was not going to stand as a candidate again in February, citing “entirely personal and positive” reasons.
52. Paul Scully
The MP for Sutton and Cheam was elected in 2015, and served as minister for London and a technology minister from October 2022 until a Sunak reshuffle last October.
He announced he would not stand to be an MP again in March, saying Londoners believed his party was “being disrespectful” to the capital and had “lost focus”.
53. Theresa May
Three prime ministers ago (2019), May was leading the country – but the MP for Maidenhead announced earlier this year she would be stepping down before the public go to the polls again.
She served as PM between 2016 and 2019, and has been an MP since 1997.
54. Sir Brandon Lewis
The MP for Great Yarmouth announced in March that he was not going to be standing as a candidate at the next general election.
First elected in 2010, he became the Tory Party chair in 2018, and held eight ministerial roles under Boris Johnson and Liz Truss.
55. James Heappey
The Tory MP for Wells announced he was stepping down in March – while still the minister for the Armed Forces.
“I will support Rishi Sunak as our party leader and prime minister in government, until such time as he wishes me to step down, and then from the backbenches,” Heappey said.
56. Robert Halfon
The MP for Harlow, first elected in 1999 and currently an education minister under Rishi Sunak, announced he would not be standing at the next general election in March – and was resigning from government at the same time.
He said he was “incredibly proud” to support the PM, but he felt “it is time for me to step down”.
57. Tim Loughton
After more than 27 years in parliament, the Tory MP announced he was stepping down in April.
The veteran MP who served as the deputy chair on the Home Affairs Select Committee, wrote on X that it was “wiser to leave five minutes too soon that to continue for five years too long”.
58. Nadhim Zahawi
The former chancellor and one-time Tory Party chairman announced he would be stepping down in May.
The MP for Stratford-on-Avon released an emotional statement saying “parting is such sweet sorrow”. He said: “My mistakes have been mine and my successes have come from working with, and leading, amazing people.”
Zahawi was sacked as Tory chairman in January 2023 after it was revealed he had not disclosed HMRC was investigating his tax affairs.
He also made headlines for being one of the most prominent members of Boris Johnson’s government to call for his resignation in July 2022 – less than 48 hours after he was promoted to chancellor. Weeks later, he announced he would be supporting Johnson’s bid to become PM again after Liz Truss’s resignation.
59. Chris Heaton-Harris
The Northern Ireland secretary announced he would be stepping down at the next election in May.
He said it had been an “honour and a privilege” to represent Daventry since his election in 2010, but said: “I feel the time is right for me to look for new challenges.”
60. Jo Churchill
The minister for employment said she was standing down at the election “for family reasons”.
The MP for Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket announced her decision the day after the prime minister called the general election, and said she has “taken much pride in serving in government” and that she had the “utmost respect” for Sunak.
61. Matt Hancock
The MP for West Suffolk since 2010, Hancock is another who has held a number of ministerial roles - most notably as health secretary during the pandemic. He lost the Tory whip for appearing on I’m A Celebrity in November 2022.
Just after the general election was announced, the whip was reinstated – but Hancock confirmed that he still plans to leave parliament in July.
62. Bob Stewart
Elected as a Conservative in 2010, the MP for Beckenham revealed he was standing down at the next election in November 2023 – and relinquished the Tory whip.
It came after he was convicted of racist abuse. He made no reference to the conviction in his resignation statement. He won the appeal to overturn the conviction in February.
After the general election was confirmed in May, the Conservatives restored the whip to Stewart meaning he would leave parliament as a Tory MP.
63. Huw Merriman
The transport minister and Bexhill and Battle MP announced he would not seek re-election, saying he was leaving the role with a “heavy heart”.
He did not explain what made him want to leave. He won over 63% of the vote in the last general election.
64. James Grundy
The Tory MP for Leigh and Atherton came into parliament in 2019 as the town’s first Conservative representative.
He said his decision was motivated by the increasing “abuse, threats of violence or even death threats” levelled at politicians, their families and staff.
65. Dame Eleanor Laing
The deputy speaker in the House of Commons announced she was stepping down on the same day as four other Conservatives.
In her statement, she said she loved serving as an MP for Epping Forest for 27 years.
She added: “I have come to the conclusion, however, that it is now time for me to move aside and give others opportunities that i have been so fortunate to have.”
66. Michael Ellis
The MP for Northampton North said he made the “extremely difficult decision” to step down due to the boundary changes within his constituency.
Ellis served as the Attorney General for England and Wales under Liz Truss in 2022, and briefly took up the same role when Suella Braverman was on maternity leave in 2021.
67. John Redwood
The one-time Welsh secretary announced six weeks before the next general election that he would be standing down.
He has been Conservative MP for Wokingham since 1987 and was reselected to stand again in July.
Writing on his blog, he said: “I have decided not to put my name forward in the forthcoming election. I have other things I wish to do.”
68. Craig Mackinlay
The “bionic MP” who lost his hands and feet to sepsis will not be standing for re-election, days after returning to parliament to a standing ovation in the Commons.
In a statement to GB News, he said, “my heart tells me to stand again” but “my head knows this to be impossible at this time” as he continues to recover from his health ordeal.
69. Greg Clark
Former Tory cabinet minister said he was standing down, writing on X: “After nearly 20 years as MP for Tunbridge Wells, I will not be standing at the general election.”
He did not provide a reason but said it was time “to hand the baton on”.
70. Sir David Evennett
The MP for Bexleyheath and Crayford, who has served on the front bench in government and in the shadow cabinet, wrote on X that the “unexpected calling of a general election” meant he was left “considering my position” and decided to step down from “active politics.”
He said: “It is now the time for a new candidate to take over. I remain a loyal and dedicated Conservative.”
71. Andrea Leadsom
Leadsom served as the MP for South Northamptonshire for the last 14 years and has held various roles in the government. She did not explain why she was stepping down at the end of May.
72. Michael Gove
One of the most high profile figures to be stepping down, Gove – currently the levelling up secretary – has served under several prime ministers and run to be Conservative leader himself.
First elected as an MP for Surrey Heath in 2005, Gove was a key figure in the pro-Brexit camp in the run up to the EU referendum.
He said in a letter to his Tory association chairman: “I know the toll office can take, as do those closest to me. No one in politics is a conscript.
“We are volunteers who willingly choose our fate. And the chance to serve is wonderful. But there comes a moment when you know that it is time to leave. That a new generation should lead.”
73. Mark Logan
Just after parliament dissolved ahead of the general election, Logan – MP for Bolton North East – said he would not be standing again.
He also said he would be supporting Labour at the ballot box. He said: “I’s going to be better for your pockets, it’s better for the economy, it’s going to be better for the UK.”
74. Aaron Bell
The Tory MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme was elected in 2019, and worked as the assistant whip from November 2023 onwards.
He said he made the decision due to personal and family reasons, as being an MP had taken a toll on him.
Which MPs lost the Tory whip before announcing they’re quitting at the next election?
1. Crispin Blunt
The MP for Reigate since 1997, Blunt announced in May 2022 that he would not be seeking re-election next time round. He was the first Tory MP to publicly call for Liz Truss to quit.
He had the whip withdrawn after he was arrested on suspicion of rape and possession of controlled substances in October 2023.
2. William Wragg
Elected as MP for Hazel Grove in 2015, Wragg tabled letters of no confidence in both Boris Johnson and Liz Truss.
In April 2024, he revealed he had given the contact details of other Tory MPs to a blackmailer after falling victim to a honeytrap on a dating app, and resigned the party whip.
3. Mark Menzies
The MP for Fylde since 2010 announced in April that he would not be standing days after allegations the MP misused Conservative Party campaign funds emerged.
Menzies lost the Tory whip over the allegations, all of which he has denied.
Which MPs had the Tory whip withdrawn after announcing they’re quitting at the next election?
1. Lucy Allan
Another member of the 2015 intake who is standing down. She retained her Telford seat with a majority of 10,941 at the last election.
Allan endorsed a Reform UK candidate as her successor in her seat of Telford just after Sunak called the election and so was kicked out of the party.