CHELMSFORD’S MP said he will be sad to leave politics as he confirmed his retirement after a snap General Election was called.

Sir Simon Burns, who was first elected in 1987, said it has been an honour to represent the city and its residents.

In a move that stunned Westminster on Tuesday, Prime Minister Theresa May revealed a General Election will take place on Thursday, June 8.

In January last year, Sir Simon announced he would retire at the next General Election, which was due to take place in 2020.

But the Prime Minister’s decision means the Conservative MP will be calling time on his 30-year Parliamentary career earlier than he anticipated.

He told the Chelmsford Weekly News it was important to know when to move on.

He added: “I would have liked to have stayed in the position until 2020, but I said I would leave at the next General Election and that will now be in June.

“It is time for a new face and new challenges now and it is the proper time to leave the position, despite it being a bit earlier than expected.”

He said the highlights of his time as Chelmsford’s MP were having the honour of representing the city for 30 years and helping its residents.

He added: “The achievement I am most proud of is that in February 1992, (locally-based technology firm) EEV, now known as E2V, had 250 redundancy notices about to go out because it wasn’t going to get a contract from the Ministry of Defence.

“I managed to speak to the procurement minster and persuaded them not to award the contract to the Americans but to EEV.”

Speaking about what he has planned next, Sir Simon said he hopes to teach English politics in America.

The MP travelled to the States to back Hillary Clinton during the Democratic candidate’s US Presidential Election campaign in July last year.

Sir Simon said: “Between the years of 2000 and 2009, before I became a minister, I taught politics as a lecturer to civil servants. I think it would be fun to teach in the US and it would be a good chance to go to America.”