TORFAEN MP Paul Murphy is to stand down at the General Election in May.

The former Cabinet Minister served in the Labour governments of both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, and has been the MP for Torfaen since 1987.

After making the announcement at his local Constituency Party meeting in Pontypool, Mr Murphy, 66, said: “This has been a difficult decision for me, but I think it’s the right thing to do. With a fixed five year term, I feel it would be better for a younger person to carry the Labour flag in our valley. I will miss the work in the constituency and the House of Commons, but it would be wrong of me to stand again and then not have the stamina to be an effective MP.

"It has been an honour to represent my home constituency in Parliament. I value the support and loyalty that people in this valley have shown me, and I will always be thankful to them. I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside a fantastic Assembly Member in Lynne Neagle and some excellent Councillors too. I was proud to work in the Northern Ireland and Wales Offices, playing my part in the Labour Governments that brought a great deal of positive change for our country. Perhaps, for me, the highlight was working with Mo Mowlam on the Good Friday Agreement.

“I will continue to play a part in the party, and urge people to support my successor as the Labour candidate. Only by voting Labour in May can we put an end to this awful Tory Government. In Ed Miliband, we have a Leader with all the qualities and values to make an excellent Prime Minister.”

Labour Leader Mr Miliband said: “Paul Murphy is one of the most respected and liked Members of Parliament and his departure will leave a big hole in the House of Commons.

"In two separate periods as Welsh Secretary he always put the needs of the people of Wales, and especially his constituency of Torfaen, first. However, it will be for his time at the Northern Ireland Office that he will be most remembered, particularly his role in negotiating the historic Good Friday agreement.

"We all know Paul as a man of integrity and honour - a diligent and passionate Member of Parliament, driven by a burning commitment to social justice and to the creation of a fairer Britain.

"On a personal level I will miss both Paul’s friendship and decency. I wish him well for the future and know that he will continue to play a key role in securing a Labour government."

Shadow Secretary of State Owen Smith said: “Paul Murphy has served his constituency, his country and his party with dedication and distinction. And though his modesty would prevent him from ever saying so, there is no doubt that he has been one of the most important and influential Welsh politicians of his generation. Paul’s special qualities of diplomacy, empathy and intelligence were recognised by successive Labour Prime Ministers and saw him appointed as Secretary of State for Wales on two separate occasions, where he oversaw the early, and often difficult, days of devolution.

“Paul also served twice in Northern Ireland, first as the Minister responsible for the talks process that led to the historic Belfast Agreement and later as the Secretary of State after power-sharing broke down in the early 2000’s. It is testament to Paul’s lasting impact in bringing and maintaining peace in Northern Ireland that he is universally remembered with warmth and respect throughout the Province. In all this Paul never forgot his roots in the Gwent constituency in which he was born and brought up and where he has always commanded great affection and support. I have no doubt that Paul will continue to play a full role in his community, in the Labour Party and in politics more broadly, in whatever he chooses to do next.”

Torfaen Constituency Labour Party Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said: “As the local party secretary, I’d like to thank Paul for his immense contribution, to our party, to our valley and to the country - we are very lucky to have had Paul as our MP. As the son of a miner from Abersychan, whatever Paul’s roles in Government, our valley always had a special place in his heart. Even when he was working on such momentous issues in Northern Ireland, he always took the time to attend local events and speak with people here in Torfaen. Speaking to people from across the political spectrum, it was significant how much respect they had for Paul. Even those who disagreed politically with him respected his sincerity and genuineness.”

First Minister Carwyn Jones said: “Paul Murphy is one of the great Welsh political figures. He played a major role in securing peace in Northern Ireland and our current and future generations across the UK owe him a debt of gratitude for that alone. But, that was not the limit of his achievements. In his two spells in the Wales Office he combined calm authority with good humour and won the respect of politicians from across the political divide. This was particularly important in the early days of devolution. He has always been, and I am sure he will remain, a fierce advocate for his home seat of Torfaen and latterly he has worked with the Welsh Government providing sage advice on how to get more of our most able students into the best universities. I wish Paul well in his retirement from frontline politics.”

 Lynne Neagle added: “I want to pay tribute to Paul for his sterling work in nearly 30 years representing the  people of Torfaen, and also for the huge contribution he made to the work of the last Labour government, which include playing a pivotal role in the Northern Ireland peace process.

“On a personal level I would like to thank Paul for the friendship, support and kindness he has always shown to me from the time I was first selected and over the last 15 years. I am really going to miss working with him.”