Full list of Tory MPs stepping down ahead of next general election as Ben Wallace confirms resignation plans

Defence secretary Ben Wallace has confirmed he will step down from the role at the next cabinet reshuffle. The Tory MP will step down from his defence secretary role after four years.

While he told the Sunday Times he would not stand at the next general election, he ruled out leaving "prematurely" and triggering a by-election. The MP has served as defence secretary under three prime ministers - Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.

Mr Wallace played an important role in the UK’s response to the Russia-Ukraine war. In his resignation letter, Mr Wallace said he was quitting frontline politics due to the toll it had taken on his family.

He said: “While I am proud to have worked with so many amazing people and helped contribute to protecting this great country, the cost of putting that ahead of my family is something I am very sad about."

But which other Tory MPs have revealed they will be stepping down from their roles ahead of the next general election which is expected to take place in 2025? Here’s everything you need to know.

Full list of Tory MPs stepping down ahead of next general election

• Matt Hancock. MP for West Suffolk and former health secretary. The 44-year-old lost the whip after abandoning his constituents to join ITV’s I’m a Celebrity last year and said he would not stand again in the next general election. 
• Sajid Javid. MP for Bromsgrove and former home secretary. He announced he would not stand in the next election back in December 2022 and said being an MP had been "the privilege of [his] life".
• Dominic Raab. MP for Esher and Walton, and former deputy PM. Mr Raab was forced to quit Rishi Sunak’s Cabinet earlier this year over bullying allegations from civil servants. He will step down from his MP role at the next election.
• Mark Pawsey. MP for Rugby and a senior backbencher. Announced he was stepping down from the role after 13 years after a “great deal of consideration.”
• George Eustice. MP for Camborne and Redruth since 2010 and former environment secretary. He confirmed he is stepping down from the role due to wanting “the opportunity to do a final career outside of politics”.
• Chris Pincher. MP for Tamworth and former deputy chief whip. He was forced to quit the deputy chief whip role in 2022 after he faced allegations he groped two men in a private members’ club. He had the Tory whip suspended and has since been sitting as an independent MP.
• Dehenna Davison. MP for Bishop Auckland. The 29-year-old said she would be stepping back from Westminster as she hasn’t "had anything like a normal life for a 20-something".
• Douglas Ross. MP for Moray. The Scottish leader said he will be standing down to focus on being a Member of Scottish Parliament (MSP) at Holyrood.
• Adam Afriye. MP for Windsor. He announced he would be stepping down in July 2022 after 18 years in Parliament.
• William Wragg. MP for Hazel Grove. He announced he would not defend his seat at the next election after accusing No10 of “blackmailing” MPs into keeping Boris Johnson in office.
• Chloe Smith. MP for Norwich North. She became Parliament’s youngest MP when she joined in 2009.
• Charles Walker. MP for Broxbourne. He announced he’d be stepping down as politics had become a "pretty toxic environment".
• Chris Skidmore. MP for Kingswood. He said he would step down from the role as his kids “deserve to see more of their father” and his seat is being axed due to boundary changes.
• Andrew Percy. MP for Brigg and Goole, a constituency which will be abolished due to the boundary review. Said he would be leaving the role as he’d “done it for longer than I ever expected or intended.”
• Crispin Blunt. MP for Reigate. The ex-minister said he would stand down from the role as he marked 25 years in Parliament.
• Sir Mike Penning. MP for Hemel Hempstead. He stood down from the role as he said it was “now time to allow a new candidate”.
• Sir Gary Streeter. MP for South West Devon. Sir Streeter has been MP since 1992 and in his resignation letter, he wrote: “The time has come for me to step back and let a younger person take over.”
• Edward Timpson. MP for Eddisbury. He will be stepping down from the role after just one term. He said about his resignation: "I turn 50 this year, and want to use this opportunity… to return in part to legal practice, but also advocacy roles for vulnerable children and families."
• Jo Gideon. MP for Stoke-on-Trent. The MP, who won the seat from Labour back in 2019, is also quitting the role after one term. She said she had not "come to this decision lightly".
• Robin Walker. MP for Worcester and former schools minister. He said he’d be leaving the role as his family "needs me to be more present and that the strains of living in two places and weekend commitments involved with the life of an MP, are not ones I can continue to sustain".
• Pauline Latham. MP for Mid Derbyshire. The MP revealed she will retire from the role after thinking "long and hard" about her future. 
• Sir Paul Beresford. MP for Mole Valley since 1997. Leaving the role as his constituency is expected to not exist at the next election due to boundary changes. 
• Stephen McPartland. MP for Stevenage since 2010. The MP said he would be leaving the role "much soul searching". 
• Sir Graham Brady. MP for Altrincham and Sale West. The MP said he would step down after 26 years as an MP ahead of the next general election. 
• Henry Smith. MP for Crawley since 2010. When he resigned, he wrote on his website: ”It is time for a new generation, I will not be seeking re-election as Crawley’s MP. It has been a great honour to represent the constituency in Parliament ."
• Nicola Richards. MP for West Bromwich East. She won the seat back in 2019 and said she’d be standing down "due to changes in my domestic circumstances".
• Stuart Anderson. MP for Wolverhampton South West. In a statement, the MP said he had made the decision to step down "for personal and family reasons".
• Gordon Henderson. MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey. The Tory MP is stepping down from the role after nearly 20 years. He said: "I’ve done my bit for my community, my country, and my party. I believe the time is right for me to retire and let a younger person pick up the reins."
• John Howell. MP for Henley since 2008. He said he would be stepping down from the role as he wanted to "pursue other avenues". 
• Julian Knight. MP for Solihull since 2015. In 2022, Mr Knight was suspended from the Conservative Party after a serious sexual assault allegation, which he denied. 
• Matthew Offord. MP for Hendon. He will step down from the role after 13 years in parliament. He said: “My elected status has required great sacrifices in my personal and professional lives, and I have concluded that the next general election is the time for me to leave the baton for someone else to take up."
• Craig Whittaker. MP for Calder Valley. Mr Whittaker is stepping down from the role due to the boundary shake-up.
• Jonathan Djanogly. MP for Huntingdon.The MP said he would step down after 22 years due to boundary changes.
• Alister Jack. MP for Dumfries and Galloway. The Scotland Secretary will step down from the role he has held since 2017. He said: "I’ve been very clear in saying that I will not be standing at the next general election." 
• Sir Robert Goodwill. MP for Scarborough and Whitby. He will be stepping down from the role after 18 years.
• Richard Bacon. MP for South Norfolk. Mr Bacon has been serving the constituency for the last 22 years and will step down ahead of the next general election. 
• Steve Brine. MP for Winchester and current chair of the Commons’ health and social care select committee. Mr Brine was first elected as an MP in 2010 and he announced he will be standing down from the role as it was time to consider a “new chapter” in his life.
• Philip Dunne. MP for Ludlow. He has held the seat since 2005 and will step down at the next election.
• Will Quince. MP for Colchester since 2015. He said he would stand down from the role as being MP and health minister is "all consuming".
• Royston Smith. MP for Southampton Itchen and former Southampton City Council leader. He has held the seat since 2015 but will step down ahead of the next general election. 
• Sir Bill Cash. MP for Stone. Sir Cash is the oldest sitting MP as he was first elected in 1984. He will leave the role ahead of the next general election.
• Lucy Allan. MP for Telford since 2015.Ms Allan was the first Tory MP for Telford and gave no reason for standing down as MP.