Why is Rory Stewart resigning from the Tory Party? – The Sun
TORY MP Rory Stewart became something of an internet sensation after he made an outsider bid to become the next Prime Minister.
But now he has said he is quitting as an MP so he can join the race to become the next Mayor of London.
Who is Tory MP Rory Stewart?
Rory Stewart was born on January 3, 1973, in British Hong Kong as the son of the diplomat Brian Stewart and his wife Sally Elizabeth Acland Nugent.
He was brought up in Malaysia and Scotland and was educated at the Dragon School in Oxford and Eton College.
Stewart later attended Balliol College at Oxford University, where he read Modern History before switching to Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE).
His account of his solo walk across north-central Afghanistan in 2002 detailed in The Places In Between won widespread critical acclaim.
He has served as Tory MP for Pennith and The Border since 2010.
From 2016 to 2018, Stewart served as Minister of State at the Department for International Development and Minister of State for Africa.
In January 2018 he was appointed Minister of State for Prisons.
Under David Cameron’s administration he was a Minister of the Environment.
Following Gavin Williamson’s dismissal from the Government, Mr Stewart took Penny Mordaunt’s Cabinet seat in the Department for International Development when she was made Defence Secretary.
However, he said he wouldn't be able to serve in Boris' government and returned to the backbenches when the now-PM was elected.
Mr Stewart has regularly spoken out against a No Deal Brexit – and said he would vote to stop it if he could.
He voted three times for Theresa May's deal, and has recently argued for it to be brought back to Parliament for a third go.
Is he hoping to become Mayor of London?
Just three months after battling it out with the likes of Boris Johnson, and others, to become the next leader of the Conservative Party Mr Stewart has set his sights on being the next Mayor of London.
The former International Development Secretary said has said he will quit as an MP and leave the Tories so he can stand against Labour's Sadiq Khan and Tory Shaun Bailey.
In a letter penned to the Evening Standard he wrote: "Our leaders have become so bad at listening to the people. Instead they have retreated to a madhouse of insults in the Gothic, shouting chamber of Westminster, putting one group against another.
"This is why I've decided to stand out, not for a party, but as an Independent."
Mr Stewart wrote in his local paper today: "Because I have loved the constituency so much, I had considered standing as an Independent; but I have decided that I wouldn't want to run against those Conservative members who have been such wonderful colleagues over the last 10 years."
He was one of 21 Tories who lost the whip when he voted against Boris Johnson last month – and claimed he was thrown out by text.
Who is his wife?
Speaking to the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Stewart said she was his “secret weapon”.
He said: “She organises everything."
Shoshana took time off to support Rory’s campaign during the Conservative leadership battle and accompanied him on door knocks.
What is his Twitter presence?
Mr Stewart made headlines after tweeting about how he’s hit the streets to talk to everyday people about issues that concern them during his failed campaign to become the Tory leader.
He spent a few days in London before heading to Wigan and then Warrington.
Every time he would tweet his exact location and invite people to chat with him.
He would also tweet an image or video of the person who he spoke with to his 130,000 followers.
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