Jack Monroe has pulled out of being a candidate for MP in the 2017 general election.

The award-winning author and journalist, who identifies as gender non-binary, successfully sued Katie Hopkins for libel last month, broke the news on Twitter.

Monroe says the decision comes “after having two separate letters along the lines of ‘Die You Bitch’ delivered to my home address”.

They had been due to stand as a National Health Action party candidate in Southend West, though had also called for people to back a Labour government at the June 8 election.

They also cited “terrible” health as a reason, saying friends had urged them to pull out of the stressful race.

Writing on Twitter, Monroe said: “I have withdrawn my candidacy from the General Election.

“My health is terrible right now (don’t be fooled by the glowing tan – it’s from a bottle) and after having two separate letters along the lines of ‘Die You Bitch’ delivered to my home address, I am making the decision to step back, for my own sanity and also the safety of my seven year old son.

“There are other reasons, too, my arthritis has left me crippled in bed more than once this week, and I feel throwing all of my energy into a personal campaign is the fastest way to burnout I can possibly imagine.

“I will use what energy I have to stay behind the Save Southend A&E Campaign, as I already have done, on political reporting and activism, and on having a good time with my boy.

“There will come a time when I have all guns blazing for this fight from the inside, but this isn’t it.

“I have spent the last two weeks having dozens of friends telling me how disappointed they are in me like I did a big bad terrible thing, when my sole motivation was to highlight the hospital campaign.

“People who genuinely know me – not the ones that just read some shit in the press – know I am cripplingly shy, anxious, won’t even open my own front door most days.

“The limelight is not where I want to be, and nobody deserves threats stuffed through their letterboxes.

“I remain, as ever, a National Health Action member, a Womens Equality Party member, and a Labour supporter, and will happily quietly deliver as many damn leaflets as you all want.

“Just none with my face on thank you very much.”

In recent weeks, Monroe criticised Liberal Democrats leader Tim Farron, who has said being gay is not a sin, but hwas slow to answer whether or not gay sex is a sin.

And the Conservative Party has long come under fire from the food blogger.

Conservatives really are the true party of equality. They despise us all absolutely equally. https://t.co/IV1rAlRt2Y — Jack Monroe (@MxJackMonroe) April 19, 2017