My Statement on the Prime Minister.

The results of the local and national elections that took place on Thursday 7th May have been shattering for the Labour Party. Many decent, hard-working and talented Labour Councillors, MSP’s and MS’s have paid a price that was not theirs to pay.

It is clear from the extent of the losses – in Wales, Scotland and across local government in England, not least here in the North East – that the electorate has given its verdict on the first two years of the Labour government.

I believe that Sir Keir Starmer is a man of integrity. It is why I have defended his integrity in public, and why I will continue to do so. But part of integrity is taking responsibility for your actions. Part of leadership is knowing when it is time to pass on the baton.

Debt of gratitude to Sir Keir Starmer

There is no question that the Labour Party owes a debt of gratitude to Keir Starmer for the work he did to turn our party around and to make us an electoral force again.

It was nothing short of remarkable to restore us to a party that the country could put its trust in once more.

But if we are to make good on the promises that we made to the country in 2024 to tackle the cost of living, to deal with immigration fairly and effectively, to restore our national economy, to re-build our armed forces and to see the return of a more cohesive, hopeful society, then we cannot carry on with the approach we have taken in the first two years of this Labour government.

I therefore believe that now is the time for the Prime Minister to set a clear timetable for his departure. This departure should be ordered and dignified; for the PM himself, for the government but most of all for the sake of the country.

Rebuilding our country

We have three years not just to convince the British public that we have the answers to the challenges that they face, at home and abroad, but to also deliver on these issues. And we have three years to avoid the disaster that the populism of the Right or the Left would bring us.

The Labour Party, under titans like Attlee and Bevan, has a history of rebuilding our country out of incredibly difficult circumstances. We’ve done it before, and we must do it again now. But to do so, we need to return to being the party of the working-class. We need to listen to what they are telling us matters to them, and then do what we can to improve their lives.

And we need to rise to the challenges of our time. We need to act faster, and be more radical in the solutions that we prescribe.

We will need a Beveridge Report for the 21st Century that re-aligns our Social Security net with modern lives. We will need an industrial strategy, and public utilities and procurement laws that build up the sovereign capacity of the UK above all else. We will need a comprehensive plan to enable energy security that considers all of the options on the table.

Above all, in an era of fractious politics, our country needs a renewed covenant between government and people, and across the many communities which form our society.

We have three years to do this. Three years to dramatically change the direction of our politics, our economy and our country. There is no time to waste.

David Smith MP

North Northumberland