Richard Harrington, Conservative MP for Watford, announces he will not seek re-election

In March he resigned as a Minister in the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) in order to vote against No Deal Brexit motions put forward by Theresa May’s government; at the time, he described it as a "ridiculous economic experiment on the British people", accusing the Government of "playing roulette with people's lives".

It has been widely reported that, in the event of a Parliamentary vote against a No Deal Brexit next week, Mr Harrington will defy the Conservative whip and vote with opposition parties.

Born in Leeds to a Jewish working class family, Mr Harrington served as a treasurer of the Conservative Party from 2008 until his election two years later.

Before serving as a minister, he served as a Minister in the Department for Work and Pensions, and before that, in the Home Office. A former vice-chair of the Conservative party, he also previously served as chair of Conservative Friends of Israel.

“It had been my intention to step down at the next General Election, due in 2022 under the Fixed Term Parliament Act”, Mr Harrington wrote to constituents.

“However, with the current increasing uncertainty about an earlier general election, I believe it right for me to make my intentions clear now.”

Last week, Oliver Letwin, another Jewish Conservative MP, announced his intention to to stand for re-election.