The Conservative Party is braced for a mass exodus of MPs after two more senior figures announced they would not be standing at the next general election.
Senior backbencher William Wragg and former work and pensions secretary Chloe Smith became the latest to announce they will not run again as an MP at the next election.
MPs have been given a 5 December deadline for MPs to tell Tory headquarters (CCHQ) whether they plan to run at the election in 2024, The Independent understands.