Michael Gove confirms he will stand down as MP after General Election
HOUSING Secretary Michael Gove has announced he will stand down at the general election.
The Tory MP for Surrey Heath said it was time "a new generation should lead".
Sharing his resignation letter on X, the 56-year-old said he had spent "nearly twenty years serving the wonderful people of Surrey Heath".
He expressed his gratitude to former Prime Ministers David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson and thanked Rishi Sunak for "enabling me to deepen and intensify my levelling up programme".
He added: "My parents, who adopted me when I was four months old, brought me up to believe that the chance to help others is the greatest gift you an be given.
"I know the toll office can take, as do those closest to me. No-one in politics is a conscript.
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"We are volunteers who willingly choose our fate. And the chance to serve is wonderful.
"But there comes a moment when you know that it is time to leave. That a new generation should lead."
Mr Gove held was first elected in 2005 and was Education Secretary between 2010-14 under the Coalition Government.
He was made Chief Whip in 2014 before becoming Justice Secretary in 2015.
The dad-of-two campaigned for Brexit at the 2016 Referendum before announcing his candidacy for the Conservative leadership that year.
He came third behind Andrea Leadsom and Theresa May who became Prime Minister.
The dad-of-two, who was born in Aberdeen, sat as a backbencher until 2017 before being made Environment Secretary.
After Theresa May's resignation, he launched a second Tory leadership bid but lost out to Boris Johnson.