24/06/2026
Keir Starmer’s resignation comes at a serious moment for the Labour Party and for the country.
After fourteen years of Conservative government, people turned to Labour not simply because they wanted a change of administration, but because they wanted a change of direction. They wanted a government that would rebuild public services, tackle poverty, restore some basic fairness, and give people hope that politics could improve their lives.
I agree with much of the concern that has been expressed about where we now find ourselves. There have been important achievements, and those should not be dismissed, but it is also clear that we have fallen short of the scale of change that many people expected and needed.
Across the country, too many families are still struggling with the basics: secure housing, food, heating, decent work, access to healthcare, and support when they need it. Child poverty remains a national disgrace. Too many older people continue to worry about whether they can afford to heat their homes. Too many workers are stuck in insecure and low-paid employment. Too many people who rely on social security are treated with suspicion rather than dignity.
These are not abstract issues. They are the daily realities facing residents in communities like ours, and they are exactly the issues a Labour government should exist to confront.
We also have to be honest about the wider consequences of inequality and insecurity. When people feel that the system is not working for them, trust breaks down. Anger grows. Division is exploited. The far right and others thrive when mainstream politics appears unable or unwilling to improve people’s lives.
That is why the next phase for Labour matters so much.
Whoever succeeds Keir Starmer must recognise the urgency of this moment. We cannot afford a politics that is timid, overly cautious, or focused only on managing decline. People need to see that Labour is prepared to act with real ambition: to reduce poverty, invest in public services, raise living standards, strengthen rights at work, defend civil liberties, tackle the housing crisis, and stand up consistently for human rights at home and abroad.
We also need a Labour Party that feels rooted again in the people and communities it was created to represent. That means listening properly, valuing local government and grassroots members, and moving away from unnecessary internal division. Labour is strongest when it is broad, confident, democratic and focused on improving the lives of working people.
For me, the priority will always be the residents and communities I represent. Party politics matters, but it should never come before the people who place their trust in us. Whether the issue is poverty, housing, health, community safety, public services or social justice, our responsibility is to stand up for those whose voices are too often ignored.
The challenges facing Britain are serious, but there is also an opportunity now to reset. Labour must use this moment to reconnect with its purpose and show that it is on the side of ordinary people.
The next leader needs to be bold, serious and rooted in Labour values - and they need to start from the simple truth that people did not vote Labour for more of the same. They voted for change, and we now have a responsibility to deliver it.
