Outgoing Ludlow MP Philip Dunne signs off by presenting petition calling for road repairs
The snap election called by Rishi Sunak earlier this week has called time on a number of long-standing and respected political careers.
A host of MPs, who had previously confirmed they would not be standing at the next General Election, will now see their parliamentary careers concluded.
One of those is Ludlow's Conservative MP, Philip Dunne.
Mr Dunne, who served as both a health minister and a defence minister in a 19-year parliamentary career, signed off by presenting a petition from local residents to call for improved road surfacing on a small lane in his constituency.
The petition, gathered by 174 residents of Earls Ditton Lane, near Cleobury Mortimer, called for improved road surfacing and prohibition of large heavy goods vehicles from using the small lane, which serves the Dippers Bank park homes site.
Mr Dunne said he was sad to be finishing his time as an MP, but that it was fitting to end by presenting a petition representing his local residents.
He said: “It felt appropriate that my final act in the House of Commons should be a petition on behalf of local residents, in this case calling for road repairs on their local lane.
"For the past almost two decades, I have striven to be a strong voice for the Ludlow constituency, raising issues of local concern to the highest levels of national government.
"It is not without a degree of sadness that I step back from the House of Commons. But it is time for a new generation to take up the cudgels on behalf of people here in South Shropshire."
Mr Dunne is not the only MP from the region to be finishing at Westminster.
Sir Bill Cash, Conservative MP for Stone, who previously represented Stafford, was first elected back in 1984, and now calls time on his parliamentary career.
Telford's Conservative MP, Lucy Allan, who has represented the constituency since 2015, will not be standing again, along with party colleagues, Jo Gideon the MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central, Sir Sajid Javid the MP for Bromsgrove, David Jones the MP for Clwyd West, Nicola Richards the MP for West Bromwich East, and Robin Walker the MP for Worcester.
