James Heappey is set to leave his role as armed forces minister after announcing he will be standing down from parliament at the next election.
The former soldier is expected to leave his ministerial role at the end of the month.
In a letter to his local association, reported by The Times, the Wells MP said he had concluded that it was “time to step away from politics, prioritise my family, and pursue a different career”.
He wrote: “The opportunity to serve the communities within the Wells constituency for the last nine years has been the greatest honour of my life.”
Heappey won his seat in Somerset with a 9,991 majority in 2019.
He is the 62nd Conservative MP to announce they are standing down at the next election.
In 1997, ahead of the Labour Landslide won by prime minister Tony Blair, 75 Conservative MPs quit parliament.
Exodus of Conservative MPs is a sign of the times for Rishi Sunak
It comes after former prime minister Theresa May last week announced she will step down as the MP for Maidenhead at the next election.
‘It has been an honour’: Theresa May to stand down as MP at next election
Since then, former cabinet minister Brandon Lewis has also announced he will be standing down.
In a letter posted to X/twitter on Thursday evening, Lewis wrote that it has been the “honour of his life” to represent the people of Great Yarmouth in parliament.
— Brandon Lewis (@BrandonLewis) March 14, 2024
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