The MP for Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy has joined over 70 of her Labour counterparts at Westminster in calling on prime minister Keir Starmer to step down.
Melanie Ward said that his unpopularity was a factor in the party’s poor showing in last week’s Scottish Parliament election, which saw 17 seats picked up in its worst result since the dawn of devolution.
She wrote in a statement: “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.”
Before coming into her role in 2024, Ms Ward worked as CEO of the charity Medical Aid for Palestinians.
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.”
Until yesterday, Ms Ward served as parliamentary private secretary (PPS) to deputy prime minister David Lammy.
She said: “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.”
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar had urged Mr Starmer to go in the lead up to the Holyrood poll.
Just after that in February, Ms Ward released a joint statement with fellow Fife Labour MPs Graeme Downie (Dunfermline and Dollar) and Richard Baker (Glenrothes and Mid Fife), saying that “things have to change and improve”, but holding back on supporting a change at the top.
Mr Baker has today said that the PM must resign, commenting in a statement: “I am bitterly disappointed for the fantastic candidates who did not get the results they deserved at the Scottish election, and for our brilliant serving MSPs who lost their seats.
“This defeat also requires us to think afresh about our offer as Scottish Labour and our ambitions for our nation, but the reality is that too often in this election the key issues for Scotland such as our health service and education system were crowded out by an unrelenting focus on our travails at Westminster.
“With great regret, I am therefore joining calls for the Prime Minister to set a date for his departure and for the party, including our trade unions, to engage in the debate we now need for the future leadership of our party and, most importantly, our country.
“Keir Starmer has shown courage in reforming our party. Now he must show the courage to continue to serve it by resigning.”
Mr Downie has been approached for comment.
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