Kwasi Kwarteng, former chancellor and MP for Spelthorne in Surrey, has announced that he will not be standing for re-election at the next general election. Kwarteng became the UK’s first black Conservative cabinet minister in 2021 and was a senior figure in former Prime Minister Liz Truss’s government. He was sacked as chancellor in October 2022, after just 38 days in the role, following a mini-budget that resulted in financial turbulence and a revolt from Tory MPs.
“It has been an honour to serve the residents of Spelthorne since 2010, and I shall continue to do so for the remainder of my time in Parliament,” said Kwarteng in his announcement. His brief tenure as chancellor made him the second shortest serving chancellor behind Iain Macleod, who died a month after taking office in 1970. Prior to his time at the Treasury, Kwarteng served in a number of junior ministerial roles before becoming business secretary under Boris Johnson in 2021.
Kwarteng’s Spelthorne seat has been generally safe for the Conservatives, returning a Labour MP only once in over 100 years. However, he is the latest in a series of Surrey MPs to announce they will not be standing for re-election, including Sir Paul Beresford in Mole Valley, Crispin Blunt in Reigate, Chris Grayling in Epsom & Ewell, and Dominic Raab in Esher & Walton. Currently, there are 11 MPs for Surrey, but the county will have 12 at the next election due to boundary changes.
BBC South East reported Kwarteng’s announcement, stressing that Spelthorne has a Conservative majority and that Kwarteng secured a majority of 18,393 at the last election. Follow BBC South East on social media or send story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk.
This news follows Kwarteng’s brief tenure as chancellor and highlights the challenges that come with senior government positions. While the Conservative government has a majority in Spelthorne, the loss of Kwarteng could shake up the political landscape in Surrey. It remains to be seen who will replace him as the Conservatives’ candidate for Spelthorne
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