By-election looms as Labour MP stands down
Rosie Cooper has stood down as Labour MP for West Lancashire.
Ms Cooper has been appointed Steward and Bailiff of the Three Hundreds of Chiltern by the Chancellor, the archaic process that effectively allows her to resign an MP.
It comes two months after she announced she had accepted the position of chair of Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust following "a considerable period of soul-searching and reflection".
This appointment meant she was unable to continue with her duties as an MP, she said.
Ms Cooper, who was the target of a murder plot by a neo-nazi in 2017, said the events she had faced over recent years had "taken their toll". Jack Renshaw, of Skelmersdale, Lancashire, is currently serving a life sentence for planning to kill her.
The MP for West Lancashire, who has held the seat for 17 years, has a majority of just over 8,300.
Her resignation will mean a by-election.