Melanie Ward, the parliamentary private secretary (PPS) to Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, has resigned from her post as pressure mounts on Sir Keir Starmer over his future as Labour leader. Ms Ward, who also serves as the MP for Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy, was the fourth government aide to resign on Monday, as scores of Labour MPs called for Sir Keir to set out a timetable for his departure.
Resignations and Calls for Change
On Monday, several other parliamentary private secretaries also stepped down. Joe Morris, PPS to Health Secretary Wes Streeting, and Tom Rutland, PPS to Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds, urged the Prime Minister to outline a clear exit plan. Cabinet Office PPS Naushabah Khan also resigned, calling for new leadership at the top of the party. Additionally, Sally Jameson, a PPS to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, joined the growing chorus of discontented MPs, which numbered 63 by Monday evening.
Melanie Ward's Statement in Full
In a statement posted on X, Ms Ward explained her decision, citing the “extremely disappointing” election result in Scotland. She said: “The election result in Scotland last week was extremely disappointing, especially given the terrible record of the SNP. So many of my constituents told me that they could not vote Labour as long as Keir Starmer remains Prime Minister. Their anger at early errors like changes to the winter fuel payment remains palpable. Mistakes on moral issues like Gaza have also not been forgotten by the wider public.”
She continued: “Keir Starmer did important work to change the Labour Party, and governing in a time like this will never be easy. But the message from last week’s elections was clear; the Prime Minister has lost the confidence of the public. Our country faces enormous challenges and we need a Labour government that can deliver the scale of change that this requires. It is clear that the Prime Minister no longer has the trust or confidence of the public to lead this change.”
Ms Ward concluded: “It is for this reason that I am today resigning as a PPS and calling for Keir Starmer to resign as Leader of the Labour Party and set out a rapid process for the election of a new Leader and Prime Minister.”
The wave of resignations underscores the deepening crisis within the Labour Party, as internal calls for Sir Keir Starmer to step aside intensify following poor electoral performances and ongoing policy controversies.
