8 months ago
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Image source, PARLIAMENT PORTRAIT
James Heappey has been the MP for Wells since 2015
By Dan Ayers
BBC News, Somerset
Armed forces minister James Heappey has announced he will not be standing as a candidate at the next general election.
First elected as MP for Wells in 2015, Mr Heappey said the decision to not stand was "painful".
In a letter, he said it was time "to step away from politics, prioritise my family, and pursue a different career".
He has become the 62nd Conservative MP to confirm they will not stand in the next general election.
Mr Heappey became the armed forces minister in 2020 and previously served as parliamentary private secretary to the prime minister under Boris Johnson.
Image source, TOBY MELVILLE
Image caption,James Heappey became the armed forces minister in 2020
In a letter to his local Conservative association, he thanked his constituents saying it was the "greatest honour" of his life to serve the Wells area for nine years.
The Wells MP said he would continue to support Rishi Sunak as prime minister and assured his "full commitment" until the end of this parliament.
Boundary changes mean Mr Heappey would have been standing in the newly-named Wells and Mendip Hills constituency.
Electoral Calculus currently predicts the Liberal Democrats have a 56% change of winning the new seat, compared to 38% for the Conservatives.
Additional reporting by Hannah Miller.
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