I have informed the Prime Minister and my local Conservative Association of my decision not to seek re-adoption as the Conservative Party candidate for the Colchester constituency at the next General Election.
This has not been an easy decision as it has been the honour of my life to serve as Colchester's Member of Parliament and a privilege to represent its people.
However, being a Member of Parliament and Minister of State at the Department of Health & Social Care is all consuming and I know the impact it has had on my young family. I have always given my all in every job I have had, but I am acutely aware that I am neglecting the most important job I have, being a good dad to two young girls.
My decision is driven by my desire to put my family and daughters first as they grow up. I am incredibly proud of what my team and I have achieved and delivered for Colchester.
Since 2015 we have opened around 70,000 cases on behalf of local residents on a wide range of issues. Over £40m of government funding has been secured to regenerate our city. Residents have and will benefit from record investment into Colchester Hospital including an upgraded A&E and new orthopaedic surgery centre, as well as significant funding for the arts and road and rail infrastructure. I have no doubt that Colchester will flourish with its new status as a city conferred by the late HM The Queen last year which I helped secure.
In Parliament, I am proud to have helped break the stigma around baby loss by establishing the Baby Loss APPG, bringing forward ground-breaking parental bereavement leave legislation, proposing the Tampon Tax Fund which saw £86m support women's health charities and successfully campaigning for a permanent change to the maintenance of war graves.
Serving as a Government Minister since 2019, I have tried every day to make a difference with the support of brilliant civil servants with whom it has been, and continues to be, a privilege to work. I am proud of our work together and the difference we have made.
As a DWP minister during the covid-19 pandemic we supported the most vulnerable in our society, helping create the household support fund which has made over £2.5bn available for families in need and introducing housing reforms for vulnerable groups. As an Education minister, we introduced reforms to childcare, children’s social care and special educational needs and disabilities. Now as a Health Minister, I am privileged to be working to deliver one of the people’s priorities: reducing the NHS covid backlogs along with recovering urgent and emergency care and cementing the UK’s status as a life sciences superpower.
I would like to put on record my sincere thanks to my hard-working parliamentary team, the local Conservative Association and to all those who have supported me over many years.
Despite knowing that this is the right decision for me and my family, there is much that I will miss about serving as Colchester's Member of Parliament, not least having the opportunity to meet and help so many local residents and working with parliamentary colleagues from both sides of the House of Commons.
I look forward to campaigning alongside my good friend and colleague, the Prime Minister to elect a new Conservative Member of Parliament in Colchester at the next General Election and to return a Conservative majority government.
It goes without saying that I will continue to serve my constituents and fulfil my duties diligently until the next General Election.
I have not yet decided what the future holds for me but plan to explore opportunities that allow me to continue to support the charities and causes I care passionately about.