Mark Field, Tory MP for the Cities of London and Westminster, has announced he will not stand in the next general election due to the “fractious and febrile” political atmosphere over Brexit.
Field caused controversy this summer after he was filmed manhandling an environmental protester at the chancellor’s Mansion House speech.
Field, who has held the seat since 2001, said in a statement to his local association he was proud of his reputation as a “moderate, consensual MP, invariably keen to work effectively across party lines to the benefit of constituents and communities alike”.
But he added: “However, such a pragmatic, co-operative approach to public service has been tested to destruction in the fractious, febrile and deeply divisive aftermath to the EU referendum in 2016.
“I had dearly hoped that by the time of the next general election these issues would have been resolved. However, it is increasingly clear that divisions over Brexit and our future relationship with the EU-27 will dominate and define domestic politics for many years to come.”
He said his preference for ruling out a no-deal Brexit and his support for revoking article 50 in order to restart the two-year clock and give negotiations more time put him at odds with Boris Johnson’s government.
He said he would support the deal Johnson agreed on Thursday.
Field was been suspended from his role as a minister at the Foreign Office by Theresa May after the Mansion House incident but was allowed to retain the Conservative party whip.
When he took over as prime minister, Johnson sacked Field from his ministerial role but also dropped a Whitehall investigation into the manhandling of the protester, Janet Barker.
Chuka Umunna, the former Labour MP, had said he would stand in Field’s seat for the Liberal Democrats at the next election. He told the i newspaper last month that he felt he was a better option for the constituency because of his “liberal values” and opposition to Brexit.
Field held the seat with a majority of around 3,000 in 2017.
