It is with considerable sadness that I have decided not to stand again at the next general election.

There is never a perfect time to step down in politics and the exact timing is dictated by the electoral cycle.

I will be 62 this year. If I fought the next election and won, I could be pushing 70 by the end of the next Parliament.

So, with the Labour Party now in excellent hands with Keir Starmer’s leadership and in very good shape here in Exeter, the time feels right to pass the baton on.

I feel the luckiest person in the world to have had the privilege of representing this wonderful city and its people for the last twenty-five years. I will cherish the memories forever.

I’d like to thank, from the bottom of my heart, the people of Exeter and members of Exeter Labour Party for all their love and support over the years and my friends and family, especially my husband Neal, for sustaining me through the rigours of public life.

I am confident that Exeter’s and the country’s best years lie ahead and that whoever has the great fortune to become our city’s next MP will do a great job representing its people and taking the Exeter success story forward.

I will, of course, continue proudly to represent Exeter at Westminster and work hard for the city for the rest of this Parliament, right up until the next general election, whenever that is called.