HARTLEPOOL Labour MP Iain Wright has announced he is standing down.

The former minister, who chairs the Commons Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Select Committee, said he would "like to do other things" with his life.

Mr Wright was elected in 2004 and held the Hartlepool seat with a majority of 3,024 at the 2015 general election.

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."

Business Secretary Greg Clark praised Mr Wright for his work as committee chairman at the start of a hearing on the impact of Brexit on energy.

"You will be very greatly missed," he told the Labour MP, who replied: "I feel as though I am at my own funeral."

Mr Wright's period in charge of the committee has seen him become a leading tormentor of business chiefs including Sports Direct boss Mike Ashley and retail tycoon Sir Philip Green.

His decision to step down follows that of former home secretary Alan Johnson, who said he would not stand for re-election in Hull West and Hessle, and Tom Blenkinsop, who delivered a parting shot at Jeremy Corbyn as he announced his decision not to fight Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland.

Mr Johnson said he would have been in his 70s by the time of the next election in 2022 and it was in the best interests of his family and the party to stand down now.

Mr Blenkinsop said he had "significant and irreconcilable differences with the current Labour leadership".