Amber Rudd: Former Home Secretary standing down

The Hastings and Rye MP said she was "not finished with politics"

Former Home Secretary Amber Rudd has announced she will not be standing at the general election in December.

The Hastings and Rye MP said she was "not finished with politics" but would not be defending her seat.

Ms Rudd, who had a majority of 346 at the last election, resigned from the cabinet and surrendered the Tory whip over Brexit in September.

She was not among those Tories who had the party whip restored by the prime minister on Tuesday.

Speaking to the Evening Standard earlier, Ms Rudd said: "I will be leaving the House of Commons on perfectly good terms with the prime minister and I want him to succeed.

"I'm happy to leave the House of Commons as a Conservative MP."

Her decision last month to quit the Cabinet came after 21 of her colleagues lost the Tory whip when they backed a plan to take control of the Commons timetable to pass legislation to block a no-deal Brexit.

Ten of the MPs had the whip restored on Tuesday evening.

• General election 2019: A really simple guide

• Can the Queen vote, and other election questions

• Parties gear up for December election battle

• Did my MP vote for a 12 December election?

In a tweet, Ms Rudd confirmed she had been told by Government Chief Whip Mark Spencer she would not be having the Tory whip restored.

Asked about her actions during the party row over Brexit, Ms Rudd said: "I felt I made the right steps at those critical points and I am pleased that the prime minister has now restored the whip to some of those colleagues."

She did not rule out a return to Westminster in the future, but said there were "many other things I want to do".

Ms Rudd is the latest high-ranking Conservative to announce they will not be standing at the general election.

Before she resigned from her cabinet post, Ms Rudd was the work and pensions secretary and women and equalities minister.

Sir Patrick McLoughlin, who has served as chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, transport secretary and party chairman, said he too would not seek re-election in his Derbyshire Dales constituency.