Hove MP to stand down at the next election

Mike Weatherley, the Conservative MP for Hove, is to stand down at the next election.

Mr Weatherley, 57, was elected at the last general election in 2010 and has served as Prime Minister David Cameron's intellectual property (IP) adviser since last September.

He suffered cancer of the oesophagus two years ago and needed major surgery but has never spoken publicly about his health.

According to an exclusive report on Brighton and Hove News, Mr Weatherley, a chartered management accountant, is expected to return to the creative industries having worked as the European vice-president of the Motion Picture Licensing Company before becoming an MP.

He started Rock the House in 2010, Parliament's biggest  competition, which raises awareness of intellectual property rights and the importance of live music while encouraging young talent.

He also launched a similar competition, Film the House, with this year's winners of both competitions being announced earlier this week.

Mr Weatherley also successfully campaigned for a change in the law to criminalise squatting in people's homes.

In a letter to the Prime Minister today he wrote: 'It is after profound consideration that I write to inform you that I will not be standing for re-election at the general election in 2015.

'I have nothing but huge admiration for the work of the government over the past four years, including what has been done to get our economy back on track."

In a separate statement, Mr Weatherley said: 'This has been an exceptionally difficult decision to make. It has been a remarkable opportunity to represent the wonderful residents of Hove and Portslade in Parliament and I look forward to continuing to do this until the election near year.'

Linda Freedman, chair of Brighton and Hove Conservatives, said: 'We are all incredibly sad that Mike won't be re-standing. He has been a seriously effective representative for Hove and Portslade over the past four years. Nothing stands still in politics though so our discussions as to what happens next are already far advanced. We'll be making an announcement on this point shortly.'

For more details, see Brighton and Hove News