Peter Atkinson, the Conservatives' only MP in the North East, has announced that he will be standing down from the Hexham seat at the next General Election;
"This week I announced to the Executive Committee of the Hexham Conservative Association that I will not be standing at the next election.
It looks increasingly likely that we will not have a General Election until May 2010, by which time I will be 67. With that in mind, I have decided it would be an appropriate time for me to stand aside. I think it is only fair that I make my intentions clear now in order to give my successor the opportunity to become established in the role of parliamentary candidate.
I very much hope that he or she will go on to secure a healthy majority at the next general election and play a full part in a David Cameron led Conservative Government.
It is an enormous privilege to serve the people of the Hexham Constituency as their MP and it is certainly âbusiness as usualâ up until the next election."
The seat has a projected majority of 4,964, over the Liberal Democrats Labour.
