Michael Gove turns into most high-profile Tory to hitch election exodus

Cabinet minister Michael Gove tonight became the most high-profile Tory to reveal they will quit the Commons at the next election.

The Communities Secretary, 56, who has served under four Conservative Prime Ministers since 2015, confirmed he will not contest his Surrey Heath seat on July 4.

One of the Tories‘ great survivors, his career overcame an infamous split with Boris Johnson in 2016 when he announced he would run for party leader having led his Brexit Referendum ally’s own campaign.

He is also well known for his love of partying outside of politics, having been pictured clubbing in Aberdeen in 2021.

Despite having a majority of 18,349 the Liberal Democrats regard his Blue Wall seat in the Home Counties as an election target, with leader Ed Davey heading there first after Rishi Sunak’s announcement on Wednesday.

He tonight became the 77th Conservative MP to stand down. The previous record, set under John Major before the 1997 Labour landslide win, was 75. 

In a post on X, he said: ‘After nearly twenty years serving the wonderful people of Surrey Heath and over a decade in Cabinet across five government departments, I have today taken the decision to step down as a Member of Parliament.’

And in a letter to the chairman of the Surrey Heath Conservatives attached to the post, he said: ”Having the chance to serve as a Member of Parliament and Minister has been a profound privilege. 

‘As a child in Aberdeen I could never have imagined I would have the opportunity to sit in the Commons, let alone around the Cabinet table.

‘My parents, who adopted me when I was four months old, brought me up to believe that the chance to help others is the greatest gift you can be given.

‘That four Prime Ministers asked me to serve the country in their Governments has been the honour of my life.

‘I am grateful to them all: David Cameron who gave me the chance to pursue the education reforms in which I passionately believe, Theresa May who asked me to support her in challenging times, Boris Johnson who delivered Brexit and set out the levelling up vision which is so important for our country, and Rishi Sunak who asked me to return to Government when I believed my ministerial career had ended, enabling me to deepen and intensify the levelling up programme.

‘His support has ensured we can deliver projects which are benefitting towns and communities in all parts of the country. Having seen up close the demands of the role I know we all owe them so much.’

But Liberal Democrat Treasury spokeswoman Sarah Olney said: “Conservative politicians are fleeing the Blue Wall in their droves. Michael Gove is running scared of the Liberal Democrats.’

Those also going include ‘Bionic MP’ Craig Mackinlay, who today reversed his decision to fight for his seat despite having no hands or feet – because Rishi Sunak called the election so soon.

The South Thanet Tory was applauded in the Commons on Wednesday as he returned from a life-threatening battle with sepsis with four prosthetic limbs.

He vowed to fight for his Kent seat, hours before Mr Sunak stood wetly in Downing Street and set a date for July 4, instead of later in the year as expected.

Today Mr Mackinlay confirmed this date made it ‘impossible’ for him to contest the seat as he continues his recovery.

He became the 74th Conservative MP to confirm they are quitting the Commons at the election, minutes before former minister Greg Clark (Tunbridge Wells) became the 75th. Later David Evennett (Bexleyheath and Crayford) became the 76th.

They join veteran eurosceptic Sir John Redwood, 72, who announced early this morning he would not contest Wokingham because ‘I have other things I wish to do.’

In a statement to GB News Mr MacKinlay said: ‘Whilst my heart tells me to stand again, there being so much unfinished business across local regeneration and national issues which are important to me, my head knows this to be impossible at this time. 

‘It would be difficult to withstand the rigours of an all-out election campaign, a campaign that I’d always wish to lead from the front. 

‘Thereafter, upon being re-elected it would be difficult for me to sustain 70 to 80 hour working weeks which were the norm prior to my illness. ‘I had hoped to phase my return to the House of Commons over the coming months as my abilities improved.’

Speaking to a small group of reporters allowed onto his flight from Belfast to Britain this afternoon, Mr Sunak praised Mr Mackinlay, saying: ‘He is just an enormous inspiration.

‘For him to have gone through what he’s gone through and, as everyone can see, to just have the positivity and energy that he has brought to life is nothing short of inspiring, and whenever I’m having my difficult days I think about what he’s been through and the courage and resilience he’s shown and I think all of us can take something from that and be inspired.’

Sir John served as Welsh Secretary between 1993 to 1995 before challenging then-prime minister Sir John Major for the Tory leadership.

He received just 89 votes to Major’s 218 in the 1995 contest, and was also later defeated in a second bid for leadership in 1997.

Sir Ed Davey has said the Conservative departures meant they were ‘running scared’ of the Liberal Democrats as he hit the campaign trail in Eastbourne, East Sussex.

The party leader said news that Mr Redwood will not be standing in the General Election is a sign that the Tories ‘know we’re going to win’. Wokingham is one of the party’s Blue Wall targets.

Both former health secretary Matt Hancock and veteran MP Bob Stewart had the Conservative whip returned to them last night ‘as a gesture of goodwill’. 

The pair – who had already said they are standing down at the election – had been sitting as independent MPs in the Commons after previously losing the Tory whip.

Mr Hancock was suspsended from the Tory parliamentary party after appearing on TV show I’m A Celebrity without permission.

Mr Stewart surrendered the party whip after being found guilty of a racially-aggravated public order offence. The conviction was quashed on appeal in February.

The previous record number of Tory MPs standing down before an election was 75 – the number who quit prior to Sir Tony Blair’s 1997 landslide win.

Announcing his decision to leave the Commons, Sir John – who has been an MP since 1987 – wrote in a blog post: ‘I have decided not to put my name forward in the forthcoming election.

‘I have other things I wish to do. It has been a privilege to represent Wokingham in nine Parliaments.

‘I have drawn many of my campaigns from the views I have heard on doorsteps and read in my email box.

‘We have achieved good things together for our local community and the wider nation.

‘I was pleased to help local Conservative Council candidates win seats in the recent local elections.

‘We stopped the Lib Dems winning a majority despite their forecasts by highlighting the big damage they are doing to our roads, the money they waste, their neglect of public spaces and the way they are worsening our refuse service.’

At the 2019 general election, Sir John was re-elected as Wokingham MP with a majority of 7,383.

The Lib Dems claimed he was ‘yet another big beast in the South of England who is now running scared’.

The party’s deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: ‘This is yet another Conservative big beast in the South of England who is now running scared.

‘Wokingham is a key battleground where the Liberal Democrats are the clear challengers to the Conservatives.

‘Right across the blue wall Conservative MPs are standing down in their droves and it’s because they’re worried about losing their seats to the Liberal Democrats.

‘From the cost of living crisis to the sewage scandal these Conservatives know they’ve failed their constituents and now they’re abandoning their seats.’

Lib Dem sources pointed to how the party had won 47 per cent of the popular vote in the Wokingham constituency at last month’s local elections, compared to the Tories’ 35 per cent.

Yesterday, on the first day of the general election campaign, transport minister Huw Merriman and work and pensions minister Jo Churchill announced they are not seeking re-election.

Ms Churchill cited ‘family reasons’ in her resignation letter, saying she had the ‘utmost respect for the difficult job’ of the Prime Minister.

Bexhill and Battle MP Mr Merriman did not specify a reason for his departure but thanked his staff, local Conservative association and Rishi Sunak, and paid tribute to his constituency.

A spate of high-profile Tories will not feature on the ballot paper, including former prime minister Theresa May and former chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, who both said they would not run again before the election was called.

Dame Eleanor Laing, the Deputy Commons Speaker who was elected as an MP but relinquished party affiliation to take up her role, and former minister Sir Michael Ellis, are also stepping down.