Armed Forces Minister and Somerset MP to stand down at next General Election

Armed Forces Minister and Wells MP James Heappey is standing down at the next general election.

In a post on his social media, he says representing his constituency has been the 'greatest honour' and that it was a 'painful decision to make'.

In a letter to the Chairman of the Wells & Mendip Hills Conservative Association John Osman, he says:

"Dear John,

After much reflection, I am afraid I have taken the painful decision to not stand as a candidate in the forthcoming General Election. I am enormously grateful to the new Wells & Mendip Hills Conservative Association for having selected me as their candidate at the Special General Meeting last year but, as you know, a great deal has changed in my life over the last few years and I have concluded that now is the time to step away from politics, prioritise my family, and pursue a different career.

When the then Wells Conservative Association selected a recently retired Army office and complete political novice as their candidate eleven years ago, you took a real risk. I will always be thankful that you did. The opportunity to serve the communities within the Wells constituency for the last nine years has been the greatest honour of my life. For all the derision - plenty of it deserved - politics remains a vital endeavour in which just one person from each community in our country sits in our Parliament with the opportunity to speak up for those they represent and to shape our country for the better. I hope that in my time as a Member of Parliament I have been able to do both.

The members of the Wells Conservative Association have been unfailingly supportive over the last decade or so and I thank them for all the friendship and encouragement they've given. I'd like to particularly thank Carol, Michael, Nigel, David and, of course, you for your leadership of the association during turbulent political times and for the personal support you've all given me. I've been equally well supported by my incredibly hard working parliamentary staff and team of dedicated campaigners at Somerset Conservatives, as well as the brilliant Max Hopfl who masterminded three General Election victories.

The Wells constituency splits into four and I look forward to working with whomever you choose to replace me, as well as Sir Ashley Fox, Faye Purbrick and Lucy Trimmel, to ensure that all four constituencies return fantastic Conservative MPs at the next General Election. I have no doubt that our corner of Somerset will be brilliantly represented by the four of them.

In the meantime, 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. My constituents can be assured of my full commitment until the end of this Parliament. Whilst serving in Government is a great privilege for any parliamentarian, the greatest honour of all is to be elected as a Member of Parliament in the first place. I intend to make each of my remaining days in Westminster count in the service of my amazing community and I will be forever grateful to my constituents for bestowing on me the opportunity to do so.

Yours ever,

James"

Hear the latest news on Downtown on FM, DAB, smart speaker or the Rayo app.