Conservative MP seeking new seat for next election

Jamie Wallis says his Bridgend seat has changed dramatically since he was elected in 2019

The Conservative MP for Bridgend has said he won't be standing in his constituency at the next election.

Jamie Wallis has been the MP for the area since 2019 but told BBC Radio Wales' Sunday Supplement programme that he is "actively seeking a seat elsewhere".

He cited the recent Westminster boundary changes as a reason for his decision.

He had a majority of 1,157 at the 2019 election when he defeated the then Labour MP Madeleine Moon.

The Bridgend parliamentary seat was created in 1983 when it was won by the Tories.

But it switched to Labour in 1987 until Mr Wallis's victory with 18,193 votes.

Mr Wallis said he "will not be standing in Wales at the next election".

"I wish the candidate in my successor seat all the very best but the seat has significantly changed."

He said that change was "just a natural consequence" of the number of Welsh seats being cut from 40 to 32.

The Boundary Commission for Wales changes were confirmed earlier this year.

When they were announced, Ed Gareth Poole and James Griffiths from Cardiff University, said the Conservatives "will struggle to retain many of their seats".

However, they also said that one piece of favourable news for the Tories was that the towns of Bridgend and Porthcawl remained in the same constituency.

Bridgend had been a Labour seat for 32 years until it was won by Jamie Wallis for the Conservatives in 2019

Asked whether he had made this decision because he was afraid of losing, he said: "No. The seat has changed dramatically.

"It's a case of looking at where you're aligned and where your ties are and putting yourself forward when you feel that passion for that area.

"When the constituencies change so drastically it's natural for every candidate to look and say 'is this new seat the right seat for me?'

"In my case it isn't and it's right and proper that the party selects someone who is connected with the new seat and can take the campaign forward."

Asked if he was looking for a seat in another part of the country, he said: "I am actively seeking a seat elsewhere but I'm doing so with a sense of humour and a philosophical view, shall we say."

Mr Wallis was the first MP to say publicly that he had gender dysphoria and is in the process of transitioning.

He said the Conservative Party in Bridgend had been "very welcoming, accepting and supportive".

"This isn’t a case of being chased out locally," he said.

But he added: "Certain communities congregate in certain areas of the country. So, it does make sense to look at other places".

He said he was "committed" to doing his job as MP over the next 11 months.