Ex-cabinet minister Sajid Javid says he WILL NOT run in next election

Sajid Javid has become the youngest senior Tory and has declared he will not stand as a candidate in the next general election.

The former chancellor and health minister announced that he made the decision “after much thought”.

He is the biggest name yet to say they will leave Parliament, with Labor miles ahead in the polls – albeit two years away from a likely vote. Conservative leaders have given incumbent politicians until Monday to say whether they want to stay.

Veteran Tory MP Charles Walker, who has also announced his resignation, warned that the party will “pay the price” for mistakes and has been in opposition for ten years.

The breaking news came as Rishi Sunak suffered a bloody nose in the Chester by-election – with Labor increasing their majority while the Tories recorded their worst performance in the seat in 190 years.

In the prime minister’s first major election test, local councilor Samantha Dixon emerged victorious by a margin of 10,974 votes – well above the 6,100 secured in 2019.

Although Labor was expected to win, the Conservatives’ nearly 14 per cent surge will set alarm bells ringing in Downing Street.

Keir Starmer MPs quickly began to troll Mr Sunak as a “serial loser”, although Tories said it was some consolation that their share of the vote remained above 20 per cent.

Sajid Javid has become the youngest senior Tory and has declared he will not stand as a candidate in the next general election

The former German chancellor and health minister announced that he made the decision “after much thought”.

National polls have shown Labor recently topping the Tories by well over 20 points

Mr Javid sealed Boris Johnson’s fate when he resigned from Cabinet in the summer and Rishi Sunak followed him out the door.

The former City banker was a candidate in the subsequent Tory leadership contest but fell early. It was the second time he had failed in an application for the top job.

In a letter to Paul Uppal, chairman of the Bromsgrove Conservative Association, the Bromsgrove MP said the decision not to run in his fifth election was one he had “contended for some time”.

He added: “I am very proud of what we have achieved for Bromsgrove Borough and of my work in Parliament and Government.

“This decision will not mean the end of my parliamentary activity, especially for the causes that are very close to my heart. Nor will it affect my duties as a local MP on behalf of voters across Bromsgrove.

“Being the local MP and serving in government has been the privilege of a lifetime and I am very grateful for the opportunity to serve.

“I have always tried to make decisions in the national interest and in line with my values ​​and I can only hope that my best has been sufficient.

“I will of course continue to support my friend the Prime Minister and the people of Bromsgrove in any way I can.”

Boris Johnson has informed his constituency association that he intends to be the Tory candidate in Uxbridge & South Ruislip if the election goes ahead.

After withdrawing from the competition to succeed Liz Truss and paving the way for Rishi Sunak to become prime minister, there was speculation that Mr Johnson would choose to leave Parliament and take up more lucrative work in the private sector.

However, a number of other MPs have already announced that they will be leaving.

They include Dehenna Davison, who stunned politics by seizing Bishop Auckland’s Red Wall fortress three years ago.

William Wragg and Chloe Smith are also among the high-profile figures to step down.

Sir Charles said the Chester vote was a “sort of live-fire exercise” for the Tories’ performance in the polls.

“We certainly wouldn’t win it,” he told Times Radio.

“And I think the magnitude of the loss reflects where we are in the opinion polls at the moment. So in a sense this by-election was sort of a live fire exercise for where the polls currently have us.’

Sir Charles said the Tory party is in a “better place” than it was six weeks ago when Liz Truss led the country.

But he said he thought it was “almost impossible” for the Conservatives to come back to win the next general election.

“Now I hope that Rishi Sunak will make sure that Labor doesn’t wipe the floor with us, that we maybe win 220 seats and form a viable opposition,” he said.

Sir Charles said: “I suspect you will see quite a lot of people stepping down as we get closer to the general election.

“I think many of my colleagues will not have decided yet. But I think it’s inevitable.

“I think politics is a pretty grueling profession. But many of my colleagues will ask, do I want to do a lot more of this?

“Do I want to accept an election defeat and run some kind of grueling six-week campaign? Or if they sit in really safe seats, do I want to be in the opposition for 10 years?’

Rishi Sunak suffered a bloody nose today as Labor increased its majority in the Chester by-election

Local councilor Samantha Dixon emerged victorious for Labor in the Chester by-election by a margin of 10,974 votes – well above the 6,100 secured in 2019.

Boris Johnson (pictured) has informed his constituency association that he intends to be the Tory candidate in Uxbridge & South Ruislip in the general election

The result in Chester is the third consecutive by-election defeat suffered by the Conservatives, although the ruling parties rarely do well in such contests.

The previous two came on the same day in June when Labor snatched Wakefield and the Liberal Democrats secured historic wins in Tiverton and Honiton.

The setback, which comes just over a month into Mr Sunak’s tenure as prime minister, will not be fatal to his leadership.

But it underscores the magnitude of his task of remaining in office in the next national election.

The country faces a bleak outlook after Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s autumn statement last month ushered in a fresh round of fiscal austerity as Britain enters a recession and rising inflation weighs on incomes.

As many households grapple with rising energy bills, rail strikes and a planned absence from work by nurses in the run-up to Christmas also threaten to cause severe disruption.

Lord Robert Hayward, a Conservative colleague and election analyst, said there had been “no shocks” in the Chester by-election.

But he said the Tories were “relieved” that they got more than 20 per cent of the vote.

“I think generally as expected no shocks but definite satisfaction for the Labor Party,” he told Sky News.

He added that there is “no question” the Tories have a “real challenge ahead of them”.

“Nevertheless, Rishi comes across as a manager to the general public,” he said. His ratings far exceed those of the Tory party. His ratings, which will worry the Labor Party, are on par with Keir Starmer, depending on which poll you’re looking at.

“There are some signs that there are opportunities for the Tory party there. But Rishi needs to convince the general public that whatever crisis you look at, he can emerge from this crisis – and there are many.”

Mr Sunak is said to have stabilized the Tory ship since taking over as Prime Minister after Liz Truss’ disastrous tenure.

But there have been few signs of an upturn in the polls, with YouGov research yesterday suggesting Labor’s lead has grown to a staggering 25 points.

The Conservatives were at 22 percent support, down three points from last week and well behind Labor at 47 percent. Worryingly for Mr Sunak, support for Reform UK has risen four points to 9 per cent.