Rory Stewart has announced his intention to stand down at the next general election and has also resigned from the Conservative party. This he said on Friday 4th October 2019 on his Twitter handle @RorystewartUK.
The former Tory leadership candidate Rory Stewart, taking to his social media handle, said:
‘It’s been a great privilege to serve Penrith and The Border for the last ten years, so it is with sadness that I am announcing that I will be standing down at the next election and that I have also resigned from the Conservative Party.’
According to Metro News, the former international development secretary Rory Stewart who did not state why he resigned, had the whip withdrawn along with 20 other Tory MPs after voting against the government in a bid to block no-deal.
Former Home Secretary Amber Rudd paid tribute to his career, saying: ‘What a loss to politics. An outstanding MP & Minister. ‘One of the strongest speakers in Parliament. Principled, patient, thoughtful. I feel certain he’ll be back.’
Mr Stewart served as international development secretary until his resignation from Government in July, shortly before Mr Johnson took office and undertook his drastic Cabinet reshuffle. The firm opponent of a no-deal Brexit was among the rebels who voted to take control of the Commons timetable in order to pass legislation aimed at blocking a sudden exit from the EU. The PM retaliated by ordering the controversial cull, which saw two former chancellors stripped of the Conservative whip, Metro news had reported.