James Purnell is to quit Parliament at the next election.
The MP for Stalybridge and Hyde was one of the favourites to replace Gordon Brown as Labour leader before he dramatically quit the cabinet last year.
Mr Purnell will continue as director of the Open Left project at the think-tank Demos.
Mr Purnell said: "I have today told the executive committee of my local party that I do not wish to be the candidate for Stalybridge and Hyde at the next General Election.
"I have been proud to represent the people of Stalybridge and Hyde. And this has been an extremely difficult decision to make. But I have decided that I no longer wish to be an MP.
"I have spent all my working life in or about Westminster. And while this has been a huge privilege, I've realised I don’t want to have spent all my life in frontline politics.
"I’m looking forward to completing my project at Demos. After that my hope is to contribute ideas to public service and to the Labour Party.
"I do want to thank all the people who voted for me in the last two elections, and especially the members of the local Labour Party, for all their support.
"I hope they are as proud as I am of what we’ve done together, not least the improvements to our schools and our hospital that are now on the way."
His sensational decision to quit his post as work and pensions secretary last June nearly toppled Mr Brown. But other 'big beasts' failed to follow his lead - and the prime minister survived.
Mr Purnell, 39, resigned in a devastating letter to Mr Brown which told him he must stand aside to give Labour a 'fighting chance of winning'.
Hazel Blears, the Salford MP and communities secretary, had already quit - as had Jacqui Smith, the home secretary.
Mr Purnell later broke his silence in the M.E.N., denying that he had been part of a plot against Mr Brown.
Mr Purnell worked for Tony Blair as a special adviser in No 10 and advanced swiftly through the ministerial ranks after arriving at Westminster in 2001.
He was elected with a majority of 8,859.
As work and pensions secretary, he oversaw an overhaul of the benefits system - forcing people on disability benefits to have medical tests to see if they were fit for work.
Peter Robinson, chairman of the Stalybridge and Hyde Constituency Labour Party, said: "Over the past nine years James has been an outstanding MP, who has been instrumental in bringing many benefits to the people of Stalybridge and Hyde.
"James has proved to be a keen champion for Tameside. And he has played a major role in bringing initiatives such as Building Schools for the Future, Sure Start and the Future Jobs Fund to the area.
"We understand completely the reasons for James’ resignation and we wish him every success in the future.
"His commitment and determination have been greatly valued by members of the local Labour Party, as well as in the wider constituency.
"He has achieved a great deal and he will be a hard act to follow."
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GaelGivet, Didsbury (19/02/2010 at 10:50)
They should have some conviction and if they're as honest as they say they are they should have some pride, stand by their record in office and fight for re-election. Standing down just because they fear defeat is shameful.
Mum's little sun beam, on her knee (19/02/2010 at 11:22)
Moorlok, London (19/02/2010 at 11:31)
Huckleberry Mudsplasher (19/02/2010 at 11:37)
"Peter Robinson, chairman of the Stalybridge and Hyde Constituency Labour Party, said:" ....
"He has achieved a great deal and he will be a hard act to follow."
But I bet he didn't say it without laughing out loud and adding the next candidate should be appointed by merit and not nepotism.
Mike S, Manchester (19/02/2010 at 11:46)
King Julian III (19/02/2010 at 11:54)
Can feel myself filling up until I recall the handout sorry re-adjustment payment they all get when they go.
Tameside Council may be looking for a new leader if rumours are to believed and he being a born and bred local!!
I wonder if he would have liked a long career in politics if he hadn't wielded the knife behind Brown and ruined his chances of leadership?
Don't forget the benefit agency are catching fraudsters, I can tell the where about 650 of them are!
thoughtful, East of Manchester (19/02/2010 at 12:00)
Either the job they do is worth while & should be properly rewarded, or if not get rid of the majority of them and let the country be run by say 100 people daft enough to take on a thankless task with little reward.
vegas-blue, Stalyvegas (19/02/2010 at 12:01)
Laura Norder, Didsbury (19/02/2010 at 12:44)
But not in Greater Manchester - or even the North - mummy's boy. Boo-hoo.
And, there's still plenty of time for the Tories to snatch defeat, from the jaws of what they hoped would be a victory... over-the-hill, blue-rinse Con-servatives are ten-a-penny - just ask 'Nasty Nick' Whinerton.
salfordrat (19/02/2010 at 12:49)
Either the job they do is worth while & should be properly rewarded, or if not get rid of the majority of them and let the country be run by say 100 people daft enough to take on a thankless task with little reward.
thoughtful, East of Manchester
So, in your opinion if we pay our public SERVANTS the kind of silly money the bankers have been coining in over the years, we will get decent, professional people instead of shysters, charlatans and incompetents?
Because if that is what you are saying then I am forced to remind you of the 420k that was paid in error over six years by MCC to a marketing company, and all because one or more of these highly paid 'professionals' mixed up the figure 62% with the figure 48% (or some such) and none of the other highly paid professionals noticed. For SIX years!!! And not only did none of these people 'not notice' for six long years, but neither did any of the people coining it in at the marketing company in question, nor even any of the same professionals at the surrounding local authorities who were also benefitting from the every year.
Weird that aint it? Especially considering that these are the same people who notice if you are a month late with your 100 pound council tax bill.
Have you figured out what I am getting at here yet, or would you like me to explain? Basically, the only way to get people with any kind of moral fibre to do these jobs is to pay them less than school teachers. School teachers, by the way, are truly Public servants.
Laura Norder, Didsbury (19/02/2010 at 12:49)
Still posting your usual bile - and still claiming on your profile you are in London - who's the liar?
What's wrong: were you beaten, as a child, with a copy of 'The Ragged Trousered Philanthropist'?
At 31 - or is that another whopper? - you should try and get a hobby.
Laura Norder, Didsbury (19/02/2010 at 12:50)
Yeh - great, innit?
Is It Me? (19/02/2010 at 12:54)
Laura Norder, Didsbury (19/02/2010 at 13:15)
Either the job they do is worth while & should be properly rewarded, or if not get rid of the majority of them and let the country be run by say 100 people daft enough to take on a thankless task with little reward." - thoughtful, East of Manchester
If it's a Tory ship the rats are deserting - and many are - I'm sure the crew of the 'Good(sic) Ship Cameron' will be happy to sell them lifejackets and lifeboats. 'One Nation' stuff - y'know how it is?
I'm also intrigued by your proposal/suggestion to get the number of elected, political representatives down to 100. And after that, maybe we can whittle that number down to, say... one - then abolish elections?
Sounds good, and even better if I can be 'Generalissimo' - so can I leave the coup/revolution/putsch in your hands? (Please write soon as I need to get measured for my uniform.)
J.Hall, Tameside (19/02/2010 at 13:36)
everything coming out of the orifice`s of these two cretins.
Who else wants to stand down,speak now or share the shame of being "not fit for purpose"
jordy, Middleton (19/02/2010 at 13:40)
John Bamford (19/02/2010 at 13:57)
What a complete bunch of crooks, elitists and ne'er-do-wells they are, with a few honourable exceptions. It's about time they cleared the lot of them out, and had some decent, honest working-class people in Parliament who know what real life is about, not these self-serving careerists who have never done an honest or real days work in their lives. Purnell told the BBC he had spent all his working life around Westminster - yes, he may have done, but he certainly wasn't emptying the resident's bins!
Good riddance seems to be the popular sentiment. I'll add to that.
John Bamford (19/02/2010 at 14:23)
vegas-blue, Stalyvegas (19/02/2010 at 14:55)
Yeh - great, innit?
Laura Norder, Didsbury
19/02/2010 at 12:50
Not really!
Ivor Rash, Oldham (19/02/2010 at 15:18)
So many MP's complain that their pay should be comparable to senior figures in industry. Well, let them try their luck in industry and we'll see if they're worth that amount. As another example, Alistair Darling qualified in law. As far as I can tell, he has no experience in working in the finance sector. What, then, qualifies him to be Chancellor making important and life changing financial decisions?
Jay B, oldham (19/02/2010 at 15:21)
GaelGivet, Didsbury (19/02/2010 at 15:22)
That is a terrible, terrible idea. MPs need to be paid a decent wage to attract appropriately intelligent and competent people to stand for office. What needs reining in is the expenses culture that's grown from a lack of checks and balances and them not being paid a wage that is commensurate with their responsibilities.
Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't 62% + 48% = 110%? Glad you weren't in charge of the marketing budget...
Harmindah Shah, Upper Ramsbottom (19/02/2010 at 16:06)
Real Manchester (19/02/2010 at 17:19)
Andanotherthing, Mcr (19/02/2010 at 17:34)