Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Tory MP Chris Kelly to stand down after just one term

MP for Dudley South will stand down at the 2015 general election

Loulla-Mae Eleftheriou-Smith
Monday 01 September 2014 05:31 EDT
Comments
Chris Kelly, Conservative MP for Dudley South, has said he will stand down at the general election
Chris Kelly, Conservative MP for Dudley South, has said he will stand down at the general election (Facebook)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Chris Kelly, the Conservative MP for Dudley South, has revealed he will stand down at the 2015 general election after serving just one term.

Announcing his decision in a statement on his website, Mr Kelly did not give a reason for standing down from his seat. He instead said that he was “proud” to have served the people of Dudley South for the past five years, thanking his voters and supporters.

He said: "I would like to thank all those who have supported me since I was selected for Dudley South in September 2007. I would especially like to thank all those who voted for me at the general election in May 2010 and all of the friends and supporters who helped me for that election, as well as those who have supported my efforts since.

"I am proud to have served the good people of Dudley South for the past five years."

Mr Kelly won the seat from Labour in the 2010 general election, with a majority of 3,856.

A new prospective Parliamentary candidate will selected by the Conservative party and announced in due course, he said.

Friends and supporters of Mr Kelly took to Twitter to express their sadness at his decision to stand down.

Fellow Tory MP Conor Burns tweeted that the party was “losing all the wrong people”, and Justin Tomlinson MP, a friend of Mr Kelly, tweeted that he was “gutted” to hear the news, adding that the Dudley South MP “loves the Party, always helped others” and called him an “all round good chap”.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in