It comes after he raised frustrations over the level of defence spending.

By Katie Harris, Political Reporter

09:44, Fri, Mar 15, 2024 | UPDATED: 09:44, Fri, Mar 15, 2024

James Heappey is set to quit as armed forces minister in a blow to Rishi Sunak.

The former soldier is expected to leave the role at the end of the month and stand down as an MP at the next general election.

In a letter to his local association, reported by The Times, the MP for Wells in Somerset said he had concluded that it was “time to step away from politics, prioritise my family, and pursue a different career".

He wrote: “The opportunity to serve the communities within the Wells constituency for the last nine years has been the greatest honour of my life."

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