Conservative MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central Jo Gideon who will not stand to represent the constituency at next general election
(Picture: PA Media)Tory “Red Wall” MP Jo Gideon announced on Thursday that she will not stand at the next General Election.
She said she had written to the chairman of Stoke-on-Trent Conservative Federation to inform it of her decision.
She said: “It has been a huge honour to represent the people of Stoke-on-Trent Central as their first Conservative Member of Parliament.
“I am incredibly proud of my achievements, putting people before politics.”
She stressed that she had not “come to this decision lightly” about seeking to remain in Parliament.
She added: “I have invested much time and love in my work as the Conservative Member of Parliament for this city that I care deeply about.
“I will continue to do so until the next General Election.”
At the 2019 election, Ms Gideon beat Labour’s Gareth Snell, gaining 14,557 to his 13,887.
With Labour at least 20 points ahead, according to many polls, clinging onto the seat appears to be very difficult for the Tories given the small majority.
Ms Gideon is one of more than a dozen Tory MPs who have announced they are not going to stand at the next election.
These include fellow red wall MP Dehenna Davison, who was elected the first ever Conservative MP for the north east seat of Bishop Auckland in 2019.
The 29-year-old said she was quitting to devote more time to “life outside politics”, adding that she hadn’t had “anything like a normal life for a 20-something”.
Other high profile Tories who have also announced they are quitting include the former Chancellor and Home Secretary Sajid Javid and former Health Secretary Matt Hancock.
Mr Hancock was suspended from the party in November after he announced he was going on reality TV show I’m a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here.
Former Environment Secretary George Eustice, senior backbencher William Wragg and Chloe Smith, a close ally of former PM Liz Truss who served briefly as Work and Pensions Secretary, have also said they will stand down.
