The Conservative MP Crispin Blunt has announced he will stand down at the next general election. In a statement posted on his website, he said that after “seven increasingly tumultuous parliaments, this will be my last”. Blunt, 61, has been the MP for Reigate since 1997 and has served as a justice minister and as chair of the foreign affairs select committee. The announcement comes weeks after Blunt drew criticism for defending his friend and fellow Conservative MP Imran Ahmad Khan after his conviction for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy. After the conviction, which resulted in Khan being expelled from the Conservative party, Blunt posted a statement calling it a “dreadful miscarriage of justice” and “nothing short of an international scandal”.
He later withdrew the comments and apologised, saying he did not “condone any form of abuse” and strongly believed in the “independence and integrity of the justice system”. Khan’s legal team has said he intends to appeal against the conviction. Blunt announced his decision to stand down in a post marking the 25th anniversary of his election as an MP. “This statement is not the place for the tale of the ensuing 25 years, that may or may not follow when this particular parliamentary journey is concluded,” he said.
“But its purpose is to use this 25th anniversary to make public, what those closest to me have known privately for some time, that after seven increasingly tumultuous parliaments, this will be my last. “In looking forward to the next two years or so of this parliament, whilst securing my re-election is no longer an interest, there will be continued joy in representing the citizens I’ve had the honour to serve for 25 years.” He said he would also use the rest of his time in parliament to “help secure the future” of the Conservative party and to “continue to call out long established populist views on policy shibboleths that continue to cause damage to our society and beyond”. The Reigate constituency, situated in Surrey, is a longtime safe Tory seat, with Blunt winning a majority of more than 18,000 votes at the 2019 election.