North Durham MP Kevan Jones not standing at general election

PA
Mr Jones, was first elected in North Durham in 2001. Credit: PA

The Labour MP for North Durham, Kevan Jones, has announced he is standing down at the general election.

Mr Jones, 60, was first elected in the constituency in 2001.

He was a defence minister in Gordon Brown's government between 2008 and 2010, and has been a leading campaigner on the Post Office Horizon scandal.

He said on Thursday: "In early June I will be undergoing surgery and treatment for an ongoing condition, which would make it impossible for me to fight the campaign that I and my constituents would expect."

Mr Jones won in North Durham by around 4,700 votes at the 2019 general election.

The constituency's boundaries are changing slightly for the upcoming election, which will be held on 4 July.

Other local politicians who have announced they are not standing for re-election include the Conservative MP for Bishop Auckland Dehenna Davison, the Conservative MP for Scarborough & Whitby Sir Robert Goodwill, the Labour MP for Gateshead Ian Mearns, the Labour MP for Stockton North Alex Cunningham, and the independent MP for Newcastle East Nick Brown.

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