Theresa May says she could stay on as MP for next general election after leaving No 10

Comments suggest she will not follow previous PMs, who left parliament soon after stepping down

She may be standing down as prime minister next month, but Theresa May says she has not ruled out staying on in parliament after the next general election.

Ms May has already revealed that she intends to remain the MP for her Berkshire constituency of Maidenhead after handing over as prime minister to Boris Johnson or Jeremy Hunt on 24 July.

But her comments suggest that she may also become the first premier since James Callaghan to stay on and fight another election after losing office.

Asked about her future plans during a visit to Japan for the G20 summit in Osaka, she said: “I’m certainly going to be continuing as the MP for Maidenhead. I’m going to stay in parliament and play my role by my own constituents.

“I’m expecting the next election will be in 2022 and I haven’t ruled out standing in that next election.”

Ms May brushed off suggestions that she might serve in either a Johnson or Hunt administration.

She has often spoken of the satisfaction she gets out of constituency work, and is well known for her diligent attendance at local events and her devotion to doorstep conversations with locals.

Another full parliament would allow her to clock up 30 years as the seat’s MP.

If Ms May does fight the next election, she will be breaking the pattern followed by most of her recent predecessors.

Gordon Brown stayed on as MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath for five years after leaving Downing Street in 2010, but was rarely seen in the House of Commons and did not contest the 2015 general election.

Tony Blair quit as MP for Sedgefield the same day as he bowed out as PM in 2007.

Both Sir John Major and Margaret Thatcher stuck around until the next election after losing the premiership, leaving Labour’s James Callaghan as the last former PM to fight another election.

After losing to Thatcher in the 1979 election, he remained on the Labour backbenches until 1987, leaving the Commons with 42 years under his belt.

The most famous backbench stint by a former PM involved Sir Edward Heath, who despite leaving Downing Street in 1974 and being ousted as Tory leader the following year, remained in the Commons until 2001 in what was described as “the longest sulk in history”.

Ms May also confirmed that she has not told husband Philip - who was accompanying her on her final global outing as PM - which way she voted in the contest to select her successor.

Only one person is believed to have been told of her preference among the contenders to replace her.

That is the acting co-chair of the Tory backbench 1922 Committee, Charles Walker, who cast a proxy ballot on her behalf in the final round of MPs’ voting, when the field was down to Mr Johnson, Mr Hunt and Michael Gove. He has been sworn to secrecy.