MP Jesse Norman intends to defend his seat as the Conservative candidate for Hereford and South Herefordshire in the next general election. 

Mr Norman has been the local MP since 2010. Since he won the seat, his majority has grown from 2,500 votes and 46 per cent of the vote, to some 20,000 votes and 61 per cent of the vote.

Mr Norman said: “It is still the greatest honour I can imagine to represent his constituency, and this county in Parliament. I feel it every day, whether I am in the Chamber of the House of Commons or here in Herefordshire.

“Local people will know that over the past dozen years as an MP I have helped to raise more than £100 million in investment in the county, whether for the Enterprise Zone or the hospital or for broadband or our new university or many other things.

“These things are always a team effort, and I have always worked in a non-partisan way to get the job done, for the public good.

“People will also know that I and my team take local constituency work extremely seriously, answering many thousands of calls and emails and doing some 800 cases on behalf of local people every year. That is the beating heart of my work as an MP.

“But there is still much more to be done. We need to continue the process of investing in the local economy, of boosting growth and jobs through better skills and better infrastructure. Working across borders with agencies and with the UK and Welsh governments, we need to put in place a proper long term recovery plan for the River Wye.

“So the agenda for the next few years is a big one, and I hope local people will continue to support me in my efforts to make positive change.”

Whilst the next general election may not be until January 2025 at the latest, a number of MPs have announced they will not be defending their seats. Sajid Javid, Dehenna Davison, William Wragg, Chris Skidmore, Sir Gary Streeter, Chloe Smith, Douglas Ross, Sir Charles Walker, Nigel Adams, Crispin Blunt, Sir Mike Penning, Adam Afriyie, Andrew Percy, and Mark Pawsey are amongst the Conservatives who will not be standing.