Graham Brady, the senior Tory MP who has overseen three leadership elections, has announced he will quit parliament at the next election.
The MP for Altrincham and Sale West, 55, told hislocal paper that he was leaving while he was “young enough to pursue other opportunities and interests”.
He is the 22nd Conservative to announce they are standing down at the next election, as opinion polls continue to suggest Labour is heading for victory.
As chairman of the backbench 1922 committee of Tory MPs, Brady oversaw the resignations of three prime ministers - Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Liz Truss - and ran the subsequent leadership contests.
He stood aside from the post in the 2019 race, which saw Boris Johnson become PM, as he considered his own bid for leader.
Brady, first elected in 1997, is the latest high profile Tory to announce they will quit the Commons at the next election in the face of a large Labour lead in the polls.
Former culture secretary Nadine Dorries, former chancellor Sajid Javid and former work and pensions secretary Chloe Smith have all announced they intend to leave.
Matt Hancock, who was re-elected as a Tory MP in 2019, lost the party whip after he went on I'm A Celebrity.
On the Labour side, 12 MPs have said they will quit.
Full list of Tory MPs standing down
Nigel Adams
Adam Afriye
Paul Beresford
Graham Brady
Crispin Blunt
Dehenna Davison
Nadine Dorries
George Eustice
Jo Gideon
Sajid Javid
Stephen McPartland
Mark Pawsey
Mike Penning
Andrew Percy
Douglas Ross
Gary Streeter
Chloe Smith
Chris Skidmore
Edward Timpson
Robin Walker
Charles Walker
William Wragg