Local Labour MPs' reaction to the Prime Minister Resigning

The latest from our local Labour MP's as they respond to this mornings resignation from Prime Minister, Keir Starmer.

Callum Anderson MP, Member of Parliament for Buckingham and Bletchley said:

"I was incredibly sorry to learn of Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to resign as Prime Minister this morning. His statement was characteristically dignified.

Under Keir’s leadership, the Labour Party went from its worst defeat in more than 80 years back to its historic role as the proud party of government across our four nations, within a single parliamentary term.

This journey wasn’t down to luck. Keir made the hard choices needed to root out the cancer of antisemitism from our party. He worked tirelessly to re-anchor Labour’s values in the priorities and aspirations of the British people.

Without Keir’s leadership, and without the painstaking work of his team, I, along with many colleagues in the Parliamentary Labour Party, would never have had the privilege of serving as a Member of Parliament.

I will always be deeply grateful for that. Thank you, Keir.

There will be time to reflect on Keir’s many, many achievements as Prime Minister. There will also be time to consider what we, as a Government, might have done differently over the past two years with the benefit of hindsight, and how we still can change the lives of the British people for the better, in every corner of our country.

But this moment should also prompt a wider reflection from those of us in politics and beyond. In an age of 24/7 media and social media, we too often treat political leaders as disposable and judge leadership through the lens of daily headlines rather than long-term national progress. As a country, we must find a better way. It is my party’s duty to find that path to greater resilience, perspective and political stability.

But, for now, I simply want to thank Keir for his service and wish him, Victoria, and their children nothing but the very best for the future."

On Facebook, Aylesbury MP Laura Kyrke-Smith added to her timeline: 

"Labour’s success in the 2024 election put the country on a path of change for the better, and we have Keir Starmer to thank for that.

Since then, he has worked with deep commitment to set that change in motion: Putting the economy on a steadier footing, starting to improve public services and unlocking opportunities for young people, including introducing unprecedented new protections for children online. History will judge him kindly, and rightly so.

But across Aylesbury and the villages, residents have consistently told me that their trust in us is broken. From the plans to cut the winter fuel allowance so deeply, to increasing taxes for farmers and cutting Personal Independence Payments for disabled people, they don’t believe we have their best interests at heart. While these policies were rightly then adjusted, these mistakes have hidden our progress and undermined confidence in us as a government.

Personally, I was also very troubled by the Defence Secretary’s resignation. We are living in an incredibly unstable time, with decades-old global norms and institutions crumbling and serious threats to our own security. As the former head of a humanitarian aid agency, I tolerated cuts to our international aid budget last year. I did so because I recognised the urgency of increasing defence spending and I know that means making tough choices. But it’s now clear that the aid cuts have not supported the meaningful scale-up in defence spending that we need.

I would like to thank Keir Starmer for his service to my constituents and to our country. He spoke with characteristic thoughtfulness and decency today and I wish him and his family well.

Our task now is to focus on the future. We need a Prime Minister who can think boldly and bring people together to address the challenges ahead, here in Aylesbury and the villages, across the country and internationally. This is what I will be looking for in Keir Starmer’s successor."

Taking to X, Wycombe's Emma Reynolds wrote:

When I lost my seat in 2019, I didn’t believe Labour could win power and be in Government by 2024. Keir rebuilt the Labour Party from the ground up. He won the trust of the public, secured a landslide victory, changed the country for the better and leaves a lasting legacy.

— Emma Reynolds for Wycombe 🌹 (@EmmaforWycombe) June 22, 2026