Former civil society minister Tracey Crouch has confirmed she will stand down at this year’s general election.

The MP for Chatham and Aylesford said the decision follows her recovery from cancer.

In a letter to her constituency association chair, she said that her treatment “has been a life affirming experience” and given her “an opportunity to pause and reflect on my own personal priorities”.

She says that “I truly believe it is time to seek a new professional challenge”.

“We spend far too much time in our relatively short lives putting things off but at some point, you have to say to yourself if not now, when and for me I have realised that when is now,” her letter adds.

“I turn 50 next year and a new adventure awaits. I have no idea yet what it entails and that is both exciting and scary but what I do know is that I will forever be grateful for my time in Parliament, build upon the vast experience it has given me, and enjoy the challenge of whatever comes next.”

Crouch has been MP for the Kent constituency since 2010. She was minister for sport, heritage and tourism from 2015 to 2017 before spending 18 months as minister for sport, civil society and loneliness.

She quit as a minister in November 2018 over delays within government in reducing the maximum stake for fixed odds betting terminals, which she had been calling for.

The qualified FA coach was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020 and completed her treatment the following year.

Last year she climbed Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds for the charity Breast Cancer Kent.

She is the 57th sitting Conservative Party MP to say they will not be standing at the next general election.

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