George Osborne quits as MP ahead of general election

Former chancellor George Osborne has announced he is to stand down as an MP.

Ahead of the snap general election on 8 June, the MP for Tatton wrote in a letter to his constituents that he was thrilled to be taking charge of "a great newspaper" after it was announced in March that he would become the editor of the Evening Standard.

The 45-year-old said that he intended to stay active in political debates on issues he is passionate about. He also hinted he could make a political comeback in future, saying he was leaving Westminster "for now".

He wrote: "I am stepping down from the House of Commons – for now. But I will remain active in the debate about our country's future and on the issues I care about, like the success of the Northern Powerhouse.

"I want a Britain that is free, open, diverse and works with other nations to defend our democratic values in the world.

"I will go on fighting for that Britain I love from the editor's chair of a great newspaper. It's still too early to be writing my memoirs."

Explaining his decision to step down, he said: "At the age of 45, I don't want to spend the rest of my life just being an ex-chancellor. I want new challenges.

"I'm very excited about the opportunity to edit the Evening Standard. I've met the team there, and their energy and commitment to this great newspaper are positively infectious."