Gloucester MP Parmjit Dhanda said he was "disappointed" to lose his junior ministerial post in Gordon Brown's government reshuffle.
He was appointed as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Communities and Local Government on 29 June 2007.
The role has gone to Tooting Labour MP Sadiq Khan in the reshuffle.
Mr Dhanda said his demotion would give him the chance to concentrate on constituency matters.
"Of course it was a disappointment, but ministerial jobs come and go," he said on his website.
"It's been a real honour to serve my country as an education minister and then as a CLG (Communities and Local Government) minister covering the fire service and community cohesion issues.
"I am now looking forward to having more time for bread and butter causes in Gloucester.
"It was for this reason that I decided to turn down the prime minister's offer (of a non-ministerial post) and return full-time to the backbenches."
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