Ludlow MP Philip Dunne to step down after 18 years
Philip Dunne, one of Shropshire's longest-standing MPs, has announced he will step down at the next election.
Mr Dunne, the Conservative MP for Ludlow, said it had been the "privilege of my life" to represent the constituency since 2005.
Mr Dunne, 64, who has held a number of top government posts, has most recently been chair of the Environmental Audit Committee – leading parliamentary oversight of one of the greatest emerging public concerns, the state of rivers and waterways across the country.
He held a key role as Minister for Defence Procurement for nearly four years in both David Cameron and Theresa May's governments, as well as working as a Minister of State at the Department of Health for 18 months.
Mr Dunne, who was most recently re-elected in 2019 with 32,185 votes and a majority of 23,648, said he would "continue to work hard for all constituents" until the next general election, whenever that may be.
The decision means that the Ludlow constituency will definitely have a new MP at the next election for the first time since 2005, when he overturned a Liberal Democrat majority of 1,630.
