The big guns bidding Commons farewell

A TOTAL of 105 MPs have said they will not stand in the General Election - including 65 Conservatives, 19 from Labour and nine from the SNP.

- Allister Hagger

Many of the Tories leaving Westminster are high-profile MPs who have held senior Cabinet positions.

Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris became the latest Tory MP earlier this month to announce that he will step down ahead of the national ballot, saying it was the "right time" for him to "look for some new challenges".

Energetic