Javid joins growing list of Tory MPs standing down at next election

The former chancellor Sajid Javid has become the latest Conservative MP to announce they will not stand again at the next election, joining a growing exodus of high-profile members.

- Kiran Stacey

Javid announced yesterday that he had decided to stand down at the next election, likely to be held in 2024, after wrestling with the decision "for some time".

He is the latest and most senior Tory MP to decide not to stand for re-election, days before the deadline for all members to say whether they will stand again. Polls show the party would be resoundingly defeated if the election were held now.

Other high-profile Tories who will stand down include Dehenna Davison, Chloe Smith and William Wragg.

Javid's announcement came hours after the party lost the Chester byelection, in which Labour recorded its largest ever vote share in the seat.

In a letter to Paul Uppal, the chair of his local Tory association, Javid wrote: "While that election is not required to be held for two more years, the Conservative party has asked MPs to confirm their intentions at this early stage to enable preparations for the campaign, especially in light of various boundary changes. This has accelerated my decision-making."