By Abdul Tukur

Former Conservative MP Douglas Carswell has said he will not seek re-election in the upcoming parliamentary election.

Mr Carswell, first elected as the Member of Parliament for Clacton in 2005, triggered a by-election in 2014 when he defected to the Eurosceptic party UKIP.

The 45-year-old who has now left UKIP said he will vote for the Conservative candidate in the June 8 election.

In an article, he wrote on his constituency blog, Mr Carswell said, “I have decided that I will not now be seeking re-election.

“I intend to vote Conservative ‪on 8 June and will be offering my full support to whoever the Clacton constituency Conservatives select as their candidate.”

Mr Carswell’s decision not to stand comes hours after Birmingham Edgbaston MP Gisela Stuart who chaired the leave campaign, took the same decision.

George Osborne, the former Chancellor is also not going to seek re-selection from his constituents in Tatton.

Reacting to the news, Liberal Democrat Shadow Foreign Secretary, Tim Brake said: “This is yet another top Brexiteer leaving a sinking ship.

“After steering the country towards a disastrous hard Brexit, it seems leading Leave campaigners don’t want to be held accountable for what happens next.

“It also speaks volumes that UKIP’s first elected MP is throwing his weight behind Theresa May, who has adopted UKIP’s hard Brexit agenda to the letter.

“The Liberal Democrats will fight to ensure this Government is held to account and that the British people are given the final say on the Brexit deal.

“We are the real opposition to this Conservative Brexit government and the only party fighting to keep Britain open, tolerant and united.”