Greg Knight to stand down at next election

Sir Greg Knight, who first came to Parliament in 1983 and has represented the seat of East Yorkshire since 2001, this week announced that he will not be seeking re-election.

The move, which was widely expected by Conservative colleagues, comes after a series of high-profile departures from the Tory benches including former cabinet ministers Matt Hancock and Sajid Javid.

Sir Greg said that he wanted to pursue other activities such as writing and historic vehicles, adding that he would continue as an MP for his constituents until the next election, which is expected next year.

“I have decided that the next election is the time for someone else to take over the role of representing this beautiful part of the country at Westminster,” he said.

“It has been both an honour and a privilege to represent East Yorkshire in Parliament.

“There have been many challenges and not all battles have been won but I am pleased that in many individual cases I have been able to use my experience as a solicitor to help countless local people to resolve their problems.

“I wish to thank the public for their support at the ballot box and also the members of the East Yorkshire Constituency Conservative Association for the tremendous support I have received over the past 22 years.

Sir Greg was knighted in 2013 after serving under Margaret Thatcher, John Major and David Cameron in a series of ministerial roles including deputy chief whip.

He also gained fame in Westminster circles playing drums in the rock band MP4, alongside fellow MPs Ian Cawsey, Peter Wishart and Kevin Brennan, in addition to releasing his own campaign song urging voters to “get it right, vote for Greg Knight”.