I would like to thank all those who have supported me since I was selected for Dudley South in September 2007.

I would especially like to thank all those who voted for me at the general election in May 2010 and all of the friends and supporters who helped me for that election, as well as those who have supported my efforts since.

I am proud to have served the good people of Dudley South for the past five years.

It’s been a huge honour to be an MP for a seat in the Black Country — a place where I was born and brought up.

Having the chance to vote in the Commons on issues I care about — such as our future relationship with the European Union or tackling scrap metal theft — and represent the people of Dudley South in Parliament has been a huge privilege.

However, I have found it increasingly difficult to find the right balance between my work and my personal and family life — the unpredictability of business timetabled in the Commons combined with driving back and forth between the West Midlands and London has meant that I haven’t been able to see those close to me as often as I’d like.

That’s why I’m stepping down — I’ve seen too many friends’ relationships fail in Parliament and I don’t want the same thing to happen to me.

My announcement was not linked to Douglas Carswell’s — I like Douglas personally but I’ve been a Conservative for almost 20 years and will remain so.

I’ll be working hard to ensure the new Conservative candidate is elected the next Member of Parliament for Dudley South in May 2015.

I have several other friends who, like Douglas, have also left the Conservative Party for UKIP in recent years.

Some of them have then gone on to ask me to join them. Each time I have said no — and asked them to re-join us!

There have been no negotiations about defecting. I have never met, or ever spoken to, Nigel Farage.

A new Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Dudley South will be selected & announced by the Conservative Party in due course.

Either David Cameron or Ed Miliband will be Prime Minister after May 2015. Ed Miliband would be a disaster for jobs in Dudley and for the UK economy and only if David Cameron is still Prime Minister will we get the referendum on EU membership that I have been arguing for since I was elected in 2010.

On Wednesday at PMQs I asked the Prime Minister for more details about the Government’s strategy to deal with British born jihadis fighting for the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

I was touched by the vocal support I received from colleagues as I rose and also touched by the PM’s kind words which began “I pay tribute to my hon. Friend for his great work representing the people of Dudley South for the past four years and all the work he has done.”

Thursday was a one line whip (Parliamentary language for no votes) so I took the opportunity to return home mid-week.

It was nice to be back home in the Black Country after a big week in Westminster as a result of my announcement.

On Friday I returned to the Commons to vote for Bob Neill MP’s excellent European Union (Referendum) Bill. It’s time to LetBritainDecide.com.

Chris Kelly can be contacted via 01384 211 041, office@chriskelly.

mp or House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA. You can also read the latest news and views at chriskelly.mp and sign-up for e-newsletters at recordofaction.com.