The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that Armed Forces Minister James Heappey will stand down from his position and will not stand as a candidate in the upcoming General Election.
Sources have told GB News that his decision to give up his seat at the next general election is not over defence spending.
Heappey - who served in Iraq, Afghanistan and Northern Ireland - is expected to leave before the end of this month.
In a letter, he said he had concluded that it was "time to step away from politics, prioritise my family, and pursue a different career".
James Heappey - who served in Iraq, Afghanistan and Northern Ireland - is expected to leave before the end of this month
Getty/ X
The MP has previously expressed frustrations over levels of defence spending but sources suggest the issue is not linked to his resignation.
Heappey is the 62nd Tory MP to announce they will step down at the election.
The Armed Forces minister was first elected as MP for Wells, Somerset in 2015 and said his decision to give up his seat was "painful".
He thanked his constituents saying it was the "greatest honour" of his life to serve the area for nine years.
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Writing on social media, he said: "After much reflection, I am afraid I have taken the painful decision not to stand as a candidate in the forthcoming General Election.
"A great deal has changed in my life over the last few years and I have concluded that now is the time to step away from politics, prioritise my family, and pursue a different career."
He added that he will continue to support Rishi Sunak in his leadership and work as a minister "until such time as he wishes me to step down, and then from the backbenches".
"I intend to make each of my remaining days in Westminster count," he said.
The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that Armed Forces Minister James Heappey will stand down from his positionPADespite mounting pressure on Sunak to call an election sooner rather than later, reports suggest the big day may come in October.
But polling is not pretty for Sunak's Conservatives - the latest statistics from YouGov suggest his party is staring down the barrel of a blowout, with just 20 per cent of Britons willing to give the Tories their vote.
Their figures lie in stark contrast to Labour's, which show 44 per cent of voters would cast their ballots for the current opposition.