It comes as some Tory members in his Suffolk constituency say the MP is “not fit to represent” them.
Image source, ITVFormer Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced he will not be standing as an MP at the next general election.
He was suspended as a Tory MP after taking part in the ITV reality show I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here.
In a letter to Rishi Sunak, Mr Hancock said he had “discovered a whole new world of possibilities which I am excited to explore”.
He added that politicians need to find “new ways to reach people” outside Parliament.
He concluded his letter by saying it had been “an honour to serve in Parliament and represent the people of West Suffolk”.
“I will play my part in the debate about the future of our country and engage with the public in new ways,” he said.
Mr Hancock had been a minister in successive Conservative governments since 2013 and served as health secretary during the coronavirus pandemic.
In June 2021, he was forced to resign from the role after he breached social distancing guidelines by kissing colleague, Gina Coladangelo, who later became his partner.
Despite supporting Mr Sunak in the Conservative leadership campaign, Mr Hancock wasn’t given a role in government when the prime minister entered Downing Street.
The MP subsequently joined the cast of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here – a decision that attracted criticism from his fellow MPs and local Conservative association, who accused him of “abandoning his constituency”.
One Tory colleague, Tim Loughton, called Mr Hancock an “absolute prat” for taking part, but Mr Hancock defended the move saying reality TV was a “powerful tool” to reach young people.
Announcing his decision to quit Parliament, Mr Hancock said: “There was a time when I thought the only way to influence the public debate was in Parliament, but I’ve realised there’s far more to it than that.
Image source, PA Media
“I have increasingly come to believe that for a healthy democracy we must find new ways of reaching people – especially those who are disengaged with politics.
“The revival of modern conservatism over the next decade will I suspect take place as much outside Parliament as in it.”
He said he looked “forward to championing the issues that are dear to my heart, including better support for dyslexia children”.
In his letter, he also said the chief whip had told him he would be re-admitted into the Conservative parliamentary party “in due course”, but Mr Hancock said “that is now not necessary”.
Mr Hancock is the latest in a string of MPs who have announced their decision not to stand in the next election, which has to take place before January 2025.
Last week Sajid Javid – another former health secretary – said he would be leaving Parliament.
Other Conservatives quitting include Levelling Up Minister Dehenna Davison and backbenchers William Wragg and Chloe Smith.
The West Suffolk constituency, which Mr Hancock has represented since 2010, currently has a large Conservative majority of over 23,000.
Responding to the news, the Liberal Democrats said Mr Hancock should stand down as an MP immediately.
“He’s clearly not interested in the job anymore and would rather make money on reality TV shows than represent the people of West Suffolk – his constituents deserve better than a part-time MP chasing fame and fortune.”