Maidenhead MP and former Prime Minister Theresa May has announced she will not be standing at the next general election.

Mrs May was first elected as the MP of Maidenhead in 1997 and has been successfully re-elected seven times since.

However, Mrs May's 27 years representing the town in Parliament are set to come to an end.

In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), the 67-year-old said serving the area has been an "honour and a privilege", but she had made the "difficult decision" to step down as she feels she can no longer represent her constituents with the commitment they deserve.

It comes as Mrs May is devoting her time to her work on modern slavery and human trafficking, for which she has launched the Global Commission on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking.

Mrs May said: “These causes have been taking an increasing amount of my time.

“Because of this, after much careful thought and consideration, I have realised that, looking ahead, I would no longer be able to do my job as an MP in the way I believe is right and my constituents deserve."

She added: “I have always said there is no greater privilege than being an MP; I have served as Home Secretary and Prime Minister but none of that would have been possible without the people of Maidenhead and the constituency which I have been proud to call my home.”

In Mrs May's time in office, she has served as Home Secretary, as well as becoming Prime Minister in July 2016.

After navigating Brexit discussions, Mrs May stepped down as Prime Minister in May 2019.

Mrs May will pass the baton to the next MP of Maidenhead in the next general election, which Mr Sunak has indicated will be in the second half of 2024. 

It is unknown who the next Conservative candidate for MP in Maidenhead will be.