Former Cabinet minister Sir Eric Pickles not standing in election
Conservative former Cabinet minister Sir Eric Pickles has joined the list of MPs who have said they will not be standing again in the General Election.
The former Bradford Council leader announced on his Twitter feed that he would not be the Tory candidate for Brentwood and Ongar, the Essex seat he has held since 1992.
“Looking forward to #GE2017 as a canvasser, not a candidate,” he wrote. “Thank you Brentwood and Ongar for your support and friendship over 25 years.”
Sir Eric, from Keighley, served as communities and local government secretary under David Cameron in the last parliament and was previously Conservative Party chairman.