A Conservative MP has announced his is standing down, citing boundary changes and personal reasons.
MP for Crewe and Nantwich Kieran Mullan has announced that he will not be standing at the next election.
The 39-year-old won Crewe and Nantwich for the Conservatives, defeating the incumbent Labour MP Laura Smith by 8,508 votes in 2019.
Now, he has thanked constituents for their support but also highlighted disappointments, such as the cancellation of the HS2 route north of Birmingham, which would have gone through Crewe.
The Crewe and Nantwich MP won the seat for the Conservatives
WikiCommons/PA
In a statement, he said: "This has been a big decision for me to take. There has been so much I have enjoyed about being an MP. You have opportunities to help individuals and groups and make a difference.
"I am really proud of even just the small moments when you can give thanks to someone who has achieved something locally or give a helping hand. I have made lasting change through things like funding for Leighton Hospital and securing a Town Deal for Crewe.
"My team and I have helped thousands of individual constituents. Thank you to them and countless other people I have worked with to achieve things.
"We have had lots of work experiences students and I have met hundreds of local school pupils to inspire their aspirations. Of course despite the wins there has also been difficult disappointments as well like the GBR HQ and HS2."
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
HS2 was set to go beyond Birmingham (pictured) to Manchester via Crewe
PA
In his resignation letter, he cited personal reasons, as well as upcoming boundary changes, that he said would have added to the party's political campaigning.
Mullan continued: "I've also learnt that in a swing seat like Crewe and Nantwich, modern politics means there is an almost 24/7 focus on the press and social media, where re-election depends too much on telling everyone what you have achieved or correcting misinformation rather than just getting the job done. This never came naturally to me.
"As a doctor, the job is the job and you just have to get on with it. My decision to go into politics has always been driven by wanting to get things done. Two things have happened recently that have brought me to this decision after expecting I would be staying.
Firstly, the boundary changes mean a huge difference to the seat I applied for, making it even more of a swing seat in the long term. Which comes with even more of the relentless party political campaigning. Secondly, changes in my personal life make the associated uncertainty that comes with that even more difficult. It isn't just me I have to think about."
Mullan added that he suspected that Labour would try to take advantage of his announcement.
He said: "I know Labour and others will try and make political capital out of this. That is just the job of the opposition. I would just gently remind everyone that Gwyneth Dunwoody was the MP for Exeter before she became MP for Crewe and Nantwich.
"They didn't complain about that. So take it all with a pinch of salt. This is the job. This is politics. And politics is still for me in many ways. The ability to argue for what you believe in, to empower and help amazing people, to try and unpick problems and countless other positive impacts.
"But in the long term, it will need to be in a different form for me than as the MP for Crewe and Nantwich. I wish every success to whomever succeeds me. There is a lot that has started that needs finishing and so much potential still to be capitalised on.
"I am confident Crewe & Nantwich Conservatives will pick a candidate who understands that. I will be forever grateful for the support they have given me."