LONDON: Former chancellor George Osborne announced on Wednesday afternoon that he would be standing down as an MP “for now” as he prepares to take over as editor of the Evening Standard newspaper.
The Standard reported that the Conservative MP wrote a letter to his constituents in Tatton, Oxfordshire, which said: “I am stepping down from the House of Commons — for now. But I will remain active in the debate about our country’s future and on the issues I care about, like the success of the Northern Powerhouse.
“I want a Britain that is free, open, diverse and works with other nations to defend our democratic values in the world.”
“I will go on fighting for that Britain I love from the editor’s chair of a great newspaper. It’s still too early to be writing my memoirs.”
Osborne faced calls to resign as an MP when it was announced in March that he would become the Evening Standard’s editor in May. Some MPs suggested that holding both posts would represent a conflict of interest.
Speaking about his new job, he said at the time: “At the age of 45, I don’t want to spend the rest of my life just being an ex-Chancellor. I want new challenges.”
“I’m very excited about the opportunity to edit the Evening Standard. I’ve met the team there, and their energy and commitment to this great newspaper are positively infectious,” he added.
He pledged that the Standard under his editorship would provide “straight facts and informed opinion to help them to make the big decisions Britain now faces about the kind of country we want to be.”
He added: “That starts with the coverage of this general election.”
Osborne was an MP for six years and served as chancellor between 2010 and 2016. He he resigned following the EU referendum in June, in which he had campaigned for Remain.