An exodus of Labour MPs continued tonight as Brexit champion Gisela Stuart became at least the seventh MP to confirm she would quit Parliament

An exodus of Labour MPs continued tonight as Brexit champion Gisela Stuart became at least the seventh MP to confirm she would quit Parliament.

Ms Stuart announced she would use the snap election to bring to an end a 20-year Commons career which reached a peak last year when she was the leading Labour campaigner for Leave.

The Birmingham Edgbaston was joined on the sidelines today by veteran former minister Rob Marris who announced he was quitting just two years after winning back his constituency following a five year gap.

Senior MP Iain Wright announced he was quitting this morning, joining Alan Johnson, Tom Blenkinsop, Andrew Smith and Pat Glass.

Mayoral candidates Andy Burnham and Steve Rotherham are also likely to stand aside as they will have new jobs to go to if they win elections on May 4.

Ailing leader Jeremy Corbyn launched his campaign in Croydon tonight a day after Theresa May's bombshell snap election call.

Ms Stuart, who has held her Tory-Labour marginal seat since 1997, wrote to local members: 'I wanted you to hear from me that I have decided not to contest the Birmingham Edgbaston constituency at the general election in June.

'After 22 years of campaigning and 20 years of having had the privilege of being the MP for this diverse, forever surprising and wonderful marginal seat I know when it is time to stand down and pass on the baton.

'Together we have done amazing things; things we never expected when I became the first 'Labour gain' of the Labour 1997 landslide, as well as the first ever Labour MP for Bartley Green, Edgbaston, Harborne and Quinton.

'We won local battles, brought people together, challenged established assumptions about voters (and sometimes our own) and won elections against Tories that we didn't think were possible. But together we did it. We are Labour and our values are Labour.'

Ailing leader Jeremy Corbyn launched his campaign in Croydon tonight a day after Theresa May's bombshell snap election call

Mr Corbyn is facing an exodus of MPs, most of whom believe the election is unwinnable under his leadership

The party's ratings under Jeremy Corbyn have been woeful - with the most recent showing it is 21 points behind the Conservatives. That could mean losing around 70 MPs, or a third of the current total.

THE LABOUR MPs WHO HAVE ALREADY SAID THEY WILL STAND DOWN AT JUNE POLL Alan Johnson Tom Blenkinsop Pat Glass Iain Wright Rob Marris Gisela Stuart Andrew Smith Andy Burnham and Steve Rotherham are also due to leave Parliament if they win city mayor contests Advertisement

Former leader Lord Kinnock warned today that he did not expect to see another Labour government in his lifetime.

Repeating his previous dire assessment of the party's prospects, the 75-year-old told BBC Radio 5 Live: 'There haven't been the substantial changes that I would have wanted and therefore I'm as gloomy about my prospects of living to see another Labour government as I was then.'

Mr Corbyn suffered a fresh humiliation when a member of his own front bench, John Healey, refused to say whether he would mention the leader in his election literature. Mr Healey said he had yet to write the material.

Mr Healey also declined to say whether Mr Corbyn should stay on as leader, insisting he would not 'get into' an issue which 'may or may not be relevant'.

Hartlepool has been Labour since the 1970s, but has become increasingly tight.

Former home secretary Alan Johnson (left), Pat Glass (centre) and committee chair Iain Wright (right) are all leaving the Labour ranks

Also quitting are Andrew Smith (left), Tom Blenkinsop (centre) and Rob Marris (right) are also leaving Parliament at June's election

Mr Wright, 44, narrowly fought off a challenge from Ukip to secure a 3,000 majority in 2015 - but it appears he has concluded the Tory tidal wave will be too much to resist.

In a statement today he said: 'It has been an enormous privilege to serve my home town in Parliament.

'I have now been an MP for nearly a third of my life.

'I would like to do other things and now is a good opportunity to do so.

'I would like to thank my constituents for giving me the honour of allowing me to be their Member of Parliament since 2004.'

Former home secretary Alan Johnson and moderate MP Tom Blenkinsop both announced they would not be seeking relection yesterday as the implications of a snap election hit home.

Andrew Smith - who gained notoriety as the MP who gave Mr Corbyn enough n nominations to feature on the ballot for Labour leader in 2015, has also said he will not stand again in Oxford East.

'This election is for a Parliament which is likely to run until 2022, when I would be over 71, so I think it is now time for someone else to take forward the work of serving local people as your MP. I will therefore not be a candidate in the election,' Mr Smith said.

'My belief and confidence in the values of fairness which Labour stands for are as strong as ever, and I will work tirelessly to help secure the election of a Labour MP for Oxford East, carrying forward the service which Oxford Labour gives our local community.'

Mr Wright announced that he would not be seeking re-election in Hartlepool this morning

The party's ratings under Jeremy Corbyn (pictured leaving his London home today) have been woeful - with the most recent showing it is 21 points behind the Conservatives

Theresa May, pictured giving a BBC radio interview today, is hoping to gobble up Labour seats following her bombshell decision to call a snap poll

The gulf between Conservative and Labour in the polls means that for the first time since 1997, scores of constituencies are in play rather than just a handful of marginal swing seats.

Top Tory targets will include Brexit supporting Stoke on Trent South, Halifax and Middlesbrough South.

Labour MP John Woodcock, defending a narrow majority in Barrow and Furness, said last night that he could not bring himself to vote for Mr Corbyn to become PM. Neighbouring Copeland fell to the Tories at a by-election in February.

Gains from Labour will be crucial for Mrs May as she faces a different battle in a clutch of seats won by David Cameron in 2015 from the Lib Dems.

Two years ago the Tories pulled off shock wins in Twickenham and Richmond in leafy west London, and Lewes and St Ives in Cornwall.

All four were snatched from the Liberal Democrats and Mrs May will have to fight a different battle to keep hold of them.

Labour grandee Alan Johnson is to stand down as an MP at the election, spelling more trouble for the party

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