Tim Loughton, the Conservative East Worthing and Shoreham MP since 1997, has announced he won't compete for the seat in the forthcoming general election.
After winning the seat across seven elections, he told his constituency party on Saturday (April 13) that, his decision would not change his support for the party leadership and local people:
"I have no intention of remaining anything other than totally focussed on supporting our excellent and underappreciated Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, and the interests of my East Worthing constituents in the House of Commons in my remaining months there."
No replacement candidate for his party has yet been announced.
Tom Rutland is standing in the seat for Labour, with David Batchelor standing for the Liberal Democrats.
Tim Loughton, who is 62, went to school in Lewes before reading classical civilization in the University of Warwick, then archaeology in Clare College, Cambridge.
He became a fund manager and director for Fleming Private Asset Management and won his seat in Parliament in 1997.
In his Commons career, he was Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families between 2010 and 2012, supported Brexit in the 2016 referendum, and acted as Chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee in 2016 and 2021.
You can read his full letter to his local Conservative Association chairman here:
Last night I informed the AGM of the East Worthing & Shoreham Conservative Association that I would not be standing as the Conservative candidate at the next General Election. This is my letter to the Association Chairman. pic.twitter.com/lkXpN3fsGO
— Tim Loughton (@timloughton) April 13, 2024
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