Sajid Javid resigns: former health secretary to stand down as MP at next general election

Sajid Javid has announced he will stand down as an MP at the next general election.

He will not seek re-election for his Bromsgrove seat, which he has held since 2010, but Javid pledged to continue to support the Prime Minister “in any way I can”. He said his decision had been “accelerated” by the fact MPs have been asked to confirm their intentions for contending the next nationwide poll at an “early stage”.

The former health secretary becomes the latest in a steady stream of Tory MPs to say they will step back at the next election, which will be no later than January 2025, as the party struggles to recover from a slump in the polls. Senior Conservatives including Chloe Smith and William Wragg have also announced they will not be running again.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak faced his first electoral challenge on Thursday (1 December) in the City of Chester by-election. Labour held the seat with a majority of 10,974.

Javid served as Home Secretary from 2018 to 2019 before holding the position of Chancellor of the Exchequer until 2020, before being replaced by Sunak. He returned to cabinet in 2021 replacing Matt Hancock as health secretary until quiting in July 2022.

What has Javid said about his decision to stand down?

Javid said he had “wrestled” with the choice for “some time”, and was “very proud” of his work in Parliament and government. He said the decision would not mark the end of his Parliamentary activity, particularly for those causes he cares about “deeply”, nor will it impact his current duties as an MP.

He will continue to support his “friend” Mr Sunak in any way possible, he added. In a letter to the Bromsgrove Conservative Association, he wrote: “Being the local MP and serving in government has been the privilege of my life and I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to serve.

“I always sought to make decisions in the national interest and in line with my values, and I can only hope my best was sufficient. I will of course continue to support my friend the Prime Minister and the people of Bromsgrove in any way I can.”

More to follow.