William Wragg: Tory MP will not stand at the next election

Senior Conservative MP William Wragg has announced he will not run again at the next election.

Mr Wragg, vice-chairman of the influential 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers, has held the Hazel Grove constituency in Greater Manchester since 2015.

The 34-year-old took the seat from the Liberal Democrats and became first Tory MP there since 1997.

He took a short break earlier this year to recover from depression.

In a tweet announcing his intention to step back after this Parliament ends, Mr Wragg said: "It is a privilege to be the Member of Parliament for Hazel Grove.

"I have made the decision not to stand at the next election.

"I shall continue to represent constituents to the best of my ability in the meantime and thank everyone for their wonderful support over the years."

His announcement came on the same day his Tory colleague and Norwich North MP Chloe Smith also said she was standing down at the next election, which will take place in January 2025 at the latest.

Mr Wragg, who chairs the Public Administration and Constitutions Affairs select committee, was a fierce critic of Boris Johnson, submitting a letter of no-confidence and describing the then-prime minister's position as "untenable" in January.

The backbencher also accused Downing Street of trying to "blackmail" MPs seeking to oust Mr Johnson from Number 10.

He also publicly demanded that Liz Truss quit as prime minister in October, after her mini-budget sparked financial turmoil and a plummeting in polling for the Conservatives.

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