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| Election 2017: Which MPs are standing down, and who might be standing? | Election 2017: Which MPs are standing down, and who might be standing? |
| (about 17 hours later) | |
| The surprise election on 8 June has brought things into sharp focus for MPs looking for a way out of politics - and offers a possible way back for their former colleagues wanting to return. | The surprise election on 8 June has brought things into sharp focus for MPs looking for a way out of politics - and offers a possible way back for their former colleagues wanting to return. |
| Some of the big names stepping down include George Osborne and Sir Eric Pickles, while Tony Blair and Wikileaks founder Julian Assange are among the more surprising names to suggest, perhaps not entirely seriously, that they are thinking of standing. | |
| Those who are going... | Those who are going... |
| George Osborne | George Osborne |
| The former chancellor once feted as the likely successor to David Cameron as prime minister has announced he will not seek re-election as Conservative MP for Tatton, Cheshire. | The former chancellor once feted as the likely successor to David Cameron as prime minister has announced he will not seek re-election as Conservative MP for Tatton, Cheshire. |
| Mr Osborne was sacked as chancellor after Theresa May became the party's new leader in July. He has since become the editor of the London Evening Standard newspaper as well as taking a job for the fund manager BlackRock, among others, prompting calls for him to stand down. | Mr Osborne was sacked as chancellor after Theresa May became the party's new leader in July. He has since become the editor of the London Evening Standard newspaper as well as taking a job for the fund manager BlackRock, among others, prompting calls for him to stand down. |
| Announcing his decision not to seek re-election, the 45-year-old said he was stepping down "for now". | Announcing his decision not to seek re-election, the 45-year-old said he was stepping down "for now". |
| Sir Eric Pickles | |
| Former Conservative Party chairman Sir Eric Pickles, 65, is standing down as MP for Brentwood and Ongar after 25 years. | Former Conservative Party chairman Sir Eric Pickles, 65, is standing down as MP for Brentwood and Ongar after 25 years. |
| Sir Eric, who had been the communities and local government secretary between 2010 and 2015, said he was going to "miss it dreadfully" but there always came a point when things must end. | Sir Eric, who had been the communities and local government secretary between 2010 and 2015, said he was going to "miss it dreadfully" but there always came a point when things must end. |
| Andrew Tyrie | Andrew Tyrie |
| The long-standing chairman of the Treasury Select Committee, who has locked horns with Boris Johnson, HMRC and Bank of England governor Mark Carney, will quit his safe Conservative seat. | The long-standing chairman of the Treasury Select Committee, who has locked horns with Boris Johnson, HMRC and Bank of England governor Mark Carney, will quit his safe Conservative seat. |
| Mr Tyrie, 60, said it had been an "exhilarating" 20 years as MP for Chichester in West Sussex but that he was "hopefully young enough" to contribute to public service in other ways. | Mr Tyrie, 60, said it had been an "exhilarating" 20 years as MP for Chichester in West Sussex but that he was "hopefully young enough" to contribute to public service in other ways. |
| Douglas Carswell | Douglas Carswell |
| Douglas Carswell, UKIP's first elected MP who later became an independent after falling out with senior figures in the party, will not be seeking re-election in Clacton. | Douglas Carswell, UKIP's first elected MP who later became an independent after falling out with senior figures in the party, will not be seeking re-election in Clacton. |
| Instead, the political maverick will lend his support to the Conservatives, the party he defected from in 2014, causing political shockwaves at the time. | Instead, the political maverick will lend his support to the Conservatives, the party he defected from in 2014, causing political shockwaves at the time. |
| Farewell to an independent-minded MP | |
| Alan Johnson | Alan Johnson |
| Regarded by some in Westminster as the best leader Labour never had, Alan Johnson is to stand down from the Hull West and Hessle seat he has held since 1997. | |
| Announcing his decision not to seek re-election, the former postman and union official who rose to become home secretary under Gordon Brown, said it was "best for the party". | Announcing his decision not to seek re-election, the former postman and union official who rose to become home secretary under Gordon Brown, said it was "best for the party". |
| Gisela Stuart | Gisela Stuart |
| Labour's Birmingham Edgbaston MP, who was a key figure in the campaign to leave the EU, has decided not to seek re-election. | Labour's Birmingham Edgbaston MP, who was a key figure in the campaign to leave the EU, has decided not to seek re-election. |
| Ms Stuart, who has represented the Midlands seat since 1997, told local supporters it was "time to stand down and pass on the baton". | Ms Stuart, who has represented the Midlands seat since 1997, told local supporters it was "time to stand down and pass on the baton". |
| Andy Burnham | Andy Burnham |
| Andy Burnham, a former Labour health secretary and now tipped as favourite to become Mayor of Greater Manchester, says he will not stand again in June. | Andy Burnham, a former Labour health secretary and now tipped as favourite to become Mayor of Greater Manchester, says he will not stand again in June. |
| Mr Burnham, MP for Leigh for 16 years, had two shots at party leadership, coming fourth in 2010 and second to Jeremy Corbyn in 2015. | Mr Burnham, MP for Leigh for 16 years, had two shots at party leadership, coming fourth in 2010 and second to Jeremy Corbyn in 2015. |
| Other MPs known to be not standing | Other MPs known to be not standing |
| Those hoping to return... | Those hoping to return... |
| Zac Goldsmith | Zac Goldsmith |
| The former Conservative MP, Zac Goldsmith, is seeking re-selection as the party's candidate in Richmond Park, along with two other would-be Tory MPs Luke Parker - the party's 2015 general election candidate in Brent North - and Laura Farris, a barrister. | |
| Goldsmith resigned from the party and stood as an independent in a by-election before Christmas in protest at the government's decision to give the go-ahead to the expansion of Heathrow Airport. | |
| But he lost to the Liberal Democrats' Sarah Olney, who is standing for re-election. | |
| Esther McVey | |
| The former employment minister, who lost her Wirral West seat in 2015 to Labour's Margaret Greenwood (who is standing again), has been shortlisted to stand in George Osborne's former Tatton seat, according to the Conservative Home website. | |
| The former TV presenter and businesswoman is reported to be on a shortlist of three with deputy Leader of Trafford Council Alex Williams and Katherine Fletcher, a former safari ranger who works for Mr Osborne's think tank the Northern Powerhouse Partnership. | |
| Sir Vince Cable | Sir Vince Cable |
| Sir Vince Cable, who served as former business secretary in the coalition government from 2010-2015, is one of a batch of Lib Dems who have confirmed they will stand again. | Sir Vince Cable, who served as former business secretary in the coalition government from 2010-2015, is one of a batch of Lib Dems who have confirmed they will stand again. |
| A former Labour councillor, the 73-year-old was first elected as MP for Twickenham in 1997 but was defeated by Conservative Tania Mathias in 2015 after the Lib Dems lost dozens of seats. Ms Mathias is expected to stand again. | |
| Announcing his decision to stand again, Sir Vince said "Bring it on!". | Announcing his decision to stand again, Sir Vince said "Bring it on!". |
| Sir Simon Hughes | Sir Simon Hughes |
| A former Lib Dem deputy leader and minister of state for justice and civil liberties in the coalition government, Sir Simon Hughes said he intends to be the party's candidate to fight the Bermondsey and Old Southwark seat in south London, which he lost to Labour's Neil Coyle in 2015. Mr Coyle is standing again. | |
| Sir Ed Davey | Sir Ed Davey |
| Sir Ed Davey, 51, is another Lib Dem heavyweight to announce his return to the political fray. | Sir Ed Davey, 51, is another Lib Dem heavyweight to announce his return to the political fray. |
| Confirming his intention to stand again for election in Kingston and Surbiton, the former energy secretary in the coalition government told the Independent: "We will be the surprise in this election, we will do far better than people currently think." | |
| The seat was won by Conservative James Berry in 2015, with a majority of 2,834. Mr Berry is standing again. | |
| Jo Swinson | Jo Swinson |
| A former deputy leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, Jo Swinson was once Parliament's youngest MP, after she was elected to East Dunbartonshire in 2005, but was ousted in 2015 by the SNP's John Nicolson, who is standing for re-election. | |
| Sir Bob Russell | Sir Bob Russell |
| The former Liberal Democrat MP for Colchester, Sir Bob Russell, is to stand again, despite retiring from politics after his defeat in 2015 to Conservative Will Quince. | The former Liberal Democrat MP for Colchester, Sir Bob Russell, is to stand again, despite retiring from politics after his defeat in 2015 to Conservative Will Quince. |
| Sir Nick Harvey | Sir Nick Harvey |
| Previously an armed forces minister, former Liberal Democrat MP, Sir Nick Harvey, 55, has told the BBC he will be seeking re-election after losing his seat in North Devon in 2015 to Conservative Peter Heaton-Jones. | Previously an armed forces minister, former Liberal Democrat MP, Sir Nick Harvey, 55, has told the BBC he will be seeking re-election after losing his seat in North Devon in 2015 to Conservative Peter Heaton-Jones. |
| Out of the race... | Out of the race... |
| Ed Balls | Ed Balls |
| Former shadow chancellor Ed Balls will not be standing in the Morley and Outwood constituency he held for five years and is not expected to stand anywhere else. | Former shadow chancellor Ed Balls will not be standing in the Morley and Outwood constituency he held for five years and is not expected to stand anywhere else. |
| Mr Balls, who lost his seat in the 2015 general election, has arguably since become best known for his dance moves on the last series of Strictly Come Dancing, in which he became a fan favourite. | Mr Balls, who lost his seat in the 2015 general election, has arguably since become best known for his dance moves on the last series of Strictly Come Dancing, in which he became a fan favourite. |
| Arron Banks | Arron Banks |
| The former UKIP donor was all set to take on Douglas Carswell in Clacton - the two are not the best of friends - but since Mr Carswell pulled out the insurance tycoon has had a change of heart. | |
| After visiting UKIP volunteers in the Essex seaside town - a place he cheerfully admitted he knew nothing about - he has said he has "no intention of standing in the way of hard-working activists who are the soul of the party". | |
| He will instead endorse local UKIP councillor Jeff Bray for the role and "give the local party financial assistance to fight the election". | He will instead endorse local UKIP councillor Jeff Bray for the role and "give the local party financial assistance to fight the election". |
| Nigel Farage | |
| The former UKIP leader briefly flirted with an eighth attempt to get elected to the House of Commons, saying he could have had an "easy" win in the former UKIP seat of Clacton, but has thought better of it. | |
| He says he has more clout as a member of the European Parliament, where he will continue to "fight for Brexit". | |
| Hoping to stand for the first time... | |
| Jack Monroe | Jack Monroe |
| The food blogger and campaigner Jack Monroe will stand as an independent in Southend. | The food blogger and campaigner Jack Monroe will stand as an independent in Southend. |
| Announcing the reasons for the decision in a series of tweets, the blogger said: "And what do I know about politics? | Announcing the reasons for the decision in a series of tweets, the blogger said: "And what do I know about politics? |
| "I know what it's like to be evicted when your housing benefit is late. I know what it's like to starve." | "I know what it's like to be evicted when your housing benefit is late. I know what it's like to starve." |
| It's not yet known whether the activist will stand for the Rochford and Southend East seat or Southend West seat, both currently held by the Conservatives. | |
| Karen Danczuk | Karen Danczuk |
| The ex-councillor and former wife of suspended Labour MP Simon Danczuk (see below), who found fame posting self-portraits on Twitter has applied to be the Labour candidate for the Conservative-held Bury North seat. | |
| Ms Danczuk, who's been dubbed the "selfie queen" by the tabloid press, has said she is "a voice of the people" as she seeks to challenge sitting MP David Nuttall's majority of just 378 votes. | |
| Will they, won't they? | |
| Simon Danczuk | |
| The MP was suspended as a member of the Labour Party in 2015 over allegations about his private life. | |
| He intends to stand for re-election as the party's candidate in Rochdale but Labour might have other ideas. The issue is set to be resolved shortly by the party's ruling National Executive Committee. | |
| Steve Rotherham | |
| Will Labour's candidate to be Liverpool's first "metro mayor" - and a staunch ally of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn - continue to sit as an MP if he wins 4 May's poll? | |
| His ultra-safe Liverpool Walton seat would be a prize for any aspiring Labour politician and there is a row brewing locally about a candidate being "parachuted in" by the party's London HQ. | |
| Paul Nuttall | |
| The UKIP leader - who recently failed to take Stoke-on-Trent from Labour in a by-election - is reported to be considering his options. He has said UKIP leaders have done quite well by not being in Parliament but "probably" will stand. | |
| And finally, a few long shots... | |
| Tony Blair | Tony Blair |
| He won three elections while leader of the Labour Party, before stepping down in 2007, but could Tony Blair - now 63 - be making a big political comeback in this snap election? | He won three elections while leader of the Labour Party, before stepping down in 2007, but could Tony Blair - now 63 - be making a big political comeback in this snap election? |
| The former MP for Sedgefield - and prominent Remainer - got tongues wagging during an exclusive interview with BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend, after he admitted there was a temptation to get back into Westminster politics to fight against a hard Brexit. | The former MP for Sedgefield - and prominent Remainer - got tongues wagging during an exclusive interview with BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend, after he admitted there was a temptation to get back into Westminster politics to fight against a hard Brexit. |
| "I feel for the first time since I first came into politics, I look at the British political scene at the moment and I actually almost feel motivated to go right back into it," he said. | "I feel for the first time since I first came into politics, I look at the British political scene at the moment and I actually almost feel motivated to go right back into it," he said. |
| David Miliband | David Miliband |
| There has been speculation about whether David Miliband might return to politics after stepping down as an MP in 2013. | |
| The former foreign secretary under Gordon Brown, who was surprisingly defeated by his brother Ed in the 2010 Labour leadership contest, declined to rule out a return to UK politics in an interview with the Times in February. | The former foreign secretary under Gordon Brown, who was surprisingly defeated by his brother Ed in the 2010 Labour leadership contest, declined to rule out a return to UK politics in an interview with the Times in February. |
| Julian Assange | Julian Assange |
| The Wikileaks founder may have been holed up in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London since 2012, but has still suggested, perhaps light-heartedly, that he could stand in the election. | |
| Mr Assange tweeted: "I can run for Parliament in any constituency in the UK. Ha ha. So which one?" | |
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