Cycling MP Julian Huppert says he won't stand again in Cambridge

The cycling advocate former MP Dr Julian Huppert has said he will not stand again for election in Cambridge.

Following a defeat in the 2015 election to current Labour MP Daniel Zeichner, Huppert has told the Lib Dems that he will not stand in future elections.

Huppert, a former co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Cycling, helped keep the issue on the political agenda and lobbied for an amendment to the Infrastructure Bill in 2015 to include cycling.

Julian Huppert told the Cambridge News: "I had the amazing opportunity of representing my home for five years and getting a huge amount done, both locally - helping with transport challenges, for example - and nationally - supporting same sex marriage - and so on.

"The time is right to find other ways of helping my community, the country, and to fight for the things I believe in.

"I will always be active in the Lib Dems and I still have the same values I have always had.

"People have been really sweet and I am really grateful to people for their comments, and particularly to people who have remembered things I've done for them - it's really sweet that they remember.

"I want to thank everybody for that."

Elizabeth Parkin, Chair of Cambridge Liberal Democrats, said: "Julian was an outstanding MP for Cambridge and we are very proud of how he stood up for our city and of what he contributed to national politics."

The party says they expect to select a new candidate before Christmas.