Long-standing Conservative Sussex MP for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton Nick Gibb, who also served as a government minister, is standing down at the next general election.
The former education minister said: “I’ve written to my association chairman this morning to tell her that I will not stand for re-election at the next election. It has been a privilege to represent the people of Bognor Regis and Littlehampton for the last 26 years.”
Mr Gibb wrote: “Over the last few weeks I have been discussing taking up a diplomatic role after the general election. To enable me to do so I have asked the Prime Minister if I can step down from the government at the reshuffle and he has agreed.
“It has been a privilege to serve as schools minister for four Prime Ministers. I campaigned for Rishi [Sunak] last Summer and I remain an enthusiastic supporter of the Prime Minister’s leadership.
“I am proud that over my ten years as a minister standards in schools have risen. England is fourth in the world in reading as a result of the phonics reforms and we are rising internationally for maths and English. We have transformed the curriculum so that it is knowledge rich.
