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| Amber Rudd embroiled in Tory spat as she stands down as MP | Amber Rudd embroiled in Tory spat as she stands down as MP |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Amber Rudd has been embroiled in a highly public spat with Downing Street over her departure as an MP, with the party banning her from standing again for the Conservatives and then Rudd responding that Boris Johnson had offered her a safe seat only last week. | Amber Rudd has been embroiled in a highly public spat with Downing Street over her departure as an MP, with the party banning her from standing again for the Conservatives and then Rudd responding that Boris Johnson had offered her a safe seat only last week. |
| One of Rudd’s former cabinet colleagues, the current culture secretary, Nicky Morgan, also announced on Wednesday that she would not be standing again at the next election. | |
| In a letter accompanying the announcement on Twitter, Morgan cited “the clear impact on my family and the other sacrifices involved in, and the abuse for, doing the job of a modern MP” as part of the reason for her decision. | |
| For the first time in 18 years I won't be a candidate in the next General Election. I've loved being #Loughborough's voice in Westminster since 2010 & being DCMS Secretary - & I look forward to supporting the PM, Government, Conservative Party and my successor in the future pic.twitter.com/xhH11bxd3C | |
| The row between Rudd and No 10 broke out after the former home secretary said she would be stepping down as an MP at the election and not standing again in her marginal seat of Hastings and Rye, where she has a majority of only 346. | |
| Rudd, once tipped as a future Conservative leader, told the Evening Standard: “I’m not finished with politics, I’m just not standing at this election.” She later tweeted: “Moving on. Good luck to colleagues in forthcoming GE.” | Rudd, once tipped as a future Conservative leader, told the Evening Standard: “I’m not finished with politics, I’m just not standing at this election.” She later tweeted: “Moving on. Good luck to colleagues in forthcoming GE.” |
| Announcing her departure, Rudd said she had hoped to rejoin the party ranks but was rebuffed by Mark Spencer, the chief whip, whose cutting letter to her was made public. | Announcing her departure, Rudd said she had hoped to rejoin the party ranks but was rebuffed by Mark Spencer, the chief whip, whose cutting letter to her was made public. |
| In surrendering the whip, Spencer wrote, Rudd had made it clear that she “did not support the approach of the prime minister and did not have confidence in him”. | In surrendering the whip, Spencer wrote, Rudd had made it clear that she “did not support the approach of the prime minister and did not have confidence in him”. |
| “You have failed to provide me with assurances that you will not change your mind once more,” he continued. | “You have failed to provide me with assurances that you will not change your mind once more,” he continued. |
| Having the party whip was “an honour, not a right, and as such it cannot be discarded or returned at will if it is to have any meaning”, Spencer said in the letter. | Having the party whip was “an honour, not a right, and as such it cannot be discarded or returned at will if it is to have any meaning”, Spencer said in the letter. |
| In response, Rudd tweeted that Johnson had asked her to stand in the election as a Tory only last week, potentially in the safe seat of Mid Sussex being vacated by Sir Nicholas Soames. | In response, Rudd tweeted that Johnson had asked her to stand in the election as a Tory only last week, potentially in the safe seat of Mid Sussex being vacated by Sir Nicholas Soames. |
| Funny thing really, as just last week the PM asked me to stand in the General Election.Afraid the Chief Whip has been briefed by the wrong “No 10 Sources” this morning but nonetheless I respect the decision he had been asked to make. https://t.co/Zo0ac7PERO | Funny thing really, as just last week the PM asked me to stand in the General Election.Afraid the Chief Whip has been briefed by the wrong “No 10 Sources” this morning but nonetheless I respect the decision he had been asked to make. https://t.co/Zo0ac7PERO |
| When she left the cabinet earlier this autumn in solidarity with Tory MPs who had the whip removed for opposing hard Brexit, Rudd condemned Johnson’s use of words such as “surrender” and “betrayal” over Brexit, warning it could incite violence against opponents. | When she left the cabinet earlier this autumn in solidarity with Tory MPs who had the whip removed for opposing hard Brexit, Rudd condemned Johnson’s use of words such as “surrender” and “betrayal” over Brexit, warning it could incite violence against opponents. |
| Rudd is one of a number of senior Tory moderates who are not standing again at this election, including Ken Clarke, Alistair Burt, Claire Perry and the prime minister’s brother, Jo Johnson. They were joined on Wednesday by David Lidington, a leading moderate and Theresa May’s former de facto deputy, who also said he would quit at the coming election. | Rudd is one of a number of senior Tory moderates who are not standing again at this election, including Ken Clarke, Alistair Burt, Claire Perry and the prime minister’s brother, Jo Johnson. They were joined on Wednesday by David Lidington, a leading moderate and Theresa May’s former de facto deputy, who also said he would quit at the coming election. |
| In a letter to his local newspaper, the Bucks Herald, the Aylesbury MP wrote: “Politics imposes a heavy cost on family and private life. That is not a complaint: people who seek elected office do so voluntarily. | In a letter to his local newspaper, the Bucks Herald, the Aylesbury MP wrote: “Politics imposes a heavy cost on family and private life. That is not a complaint: people who seek elected office do so voluntarily. |
| “But I have come to the conclusion that now is the right time for me to give a higher priority in terms of my time and energy, to Helen and my family who have given unstinting support to me during more than a quarter of a century in the House of Commons.” | “But I have come to the conclusion that now is the right time for me to give a higher priority in terms of my time and energy, to Helen and my family who have given unstinting support to me during more than a quarter of a century in the House of Commons.” |
| Rudd became an MP in 2010 and climbed the junior ministerial ranks before replacing Theresa May as home secretary in 2016, when May entered Downing Street. However, she was forced to resign two years later after failing to properly account for her role in the Windrush scandal about the treatment of Caribbean Britons. | Rudd became an MP in 2010 and climbed the junior ministerial ranks before replacing Theresa May as home secretary in 2016, when May entered Downing Street. However, she was forced to resign two years later after failing to properly account for her role in the Windrush scandal about the treatment of Caribbean Britons. |
| She returned to the cabinet as work and pensions secretary later the same year, but after Johnson replaced May she appeared increasingly uncomfortable with what she said was his pursuit of a no-deal Brexit. | She returned to the cabinet as work and pensions secretary later the same year, but after Johnson replaced May she appeared increasingly uncomfortable with what she said was his pursuit of a no-deal Brexit. |
| On Tuesday, 10 of 21 other Conservative MPs who were stripped of the whip for supporting a backbench-instigated bill seeking to block a no-deal Brexit were readmitted to the party. | On Tuesday, 10 of 21 other Conservative MPs who were stripped of the whip for supporting a backbench-instigated bill seeking to block a no-deal Brexit were readmitted to the party. |
| But the others remained out in the cold indicating they will not be able to stand for the party, including Philip Hammond, the former chancellor, David Gauke, the former justice secretary, Oliver Letwin, former Cabinet Office minister, and Dominic Grieve, the former attorney general. | But the others remained out in the cold indicating they will not be able to stand for the party, including Philip Hammond, the former chancellor, David Gauke, the former justice secretary, Oliver Letwin, former Cabinet Office minister, and Dominic Grieve, the former attorney general. |
| More than 50 MPs have so far announced they will stand down at the election, already well above the 31 who did not stand again in 2017. These were both two-year parliaments. | More than 50 MPs have so far announced they will stand down at the election, already well above the 31 who did not stand again in 2017. These were both two-year parliaments. |
| They included Stockport MP Ann Coffey, who announced she would not be standing again. The former Labour MP, who resigned from the party earlier this year and went on to help form Change UK, revealed her decision in a video to constituents on Twitter. | They included Stockport MP Ann Coffey, who announced she would not be standing again. The former Labour MP, who resigned from the party earlier this year and went on to help form Change UK, revealed her decision in a video to constituents on Twitter. |
| More MPs have stood down before other elections, with 90 not standing again in 2015, and 149 in 2010. | More MPs have stood down before other elections, with 90 not standing again in 2015, and 149 in 2010. |
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