Suffolk MPs react as Prime Minister Keir Starmer steps down
In a speech, Sir Keir said he was resigning as Labour leader, accepting that members of his party no longer believed he was the right person.
Labour and opposition MPs in Suffolk have reacted after Sir Keir Starmer announced he was stepping down as Prime Minister.
In a speech outside Downing Street, Sir Keir said he was resigning as Labour leader after accepting that members of his parliamentary party no longer believed he was the right person to lead Labour into the next General Election. He said he would remain as Prime Minister until a successor is chosen and pledged his "full and unequivocal support" to whoever takes over.
Reaction from local Labour MP's
Lowestoft MP Jess Asato paid tribute to Sir Keir's leadership, saying he had transformed the Labour Party and secured its 2024 General Election victory.
She said that victory had helped Labour deliver "huge changes", including ending the two-child benefit limit, developing a new child poverty strategy and taking steps to tackle violence against women and girls.
Ms Asato added that whoever succeeds Sir Keir should focus on the cost of living, coastal communities and bringing the country together.
Ipswich MP Jack Abbott described the resignation as "deeply disappointing".
In a statement, he said Sir Keir had inherited significant economic and public service challenges and argued that his government had put the country on a different path. Mr Abbott said the Prime Minister should have been given the opportunity to continue his work.
Reaction from opposing parties
Waveney Valley MP Adrian Ramsay for the Green Party said the resignation was "the right decision".
The Green Party co-leader said Sir Keir's position had become unsustainable and argued that repeated changes of Prime Minister had created instability. He said the next Prime Minister should provide stability and focus on issues including climate change, nature recovery, the NHS, social care and the cost of living.
South Suffolk MP James Cartlidge also looked ahead to the leadership contest.
The Conservative MP said whoever becomes Labour leader should prioritise defence spending and argued that savings should be made elsewhere in government to fund the armed forces.
Sir Keir became Prime Minister following Labour's landslide General Election victory in July 2024. In his resignation speech, he pointed to measures including economic growth, reductions in NHS waiting lists and increased defence spending as among his government's achievements, while acknowledging that Labour MPs had decided he was no longer the right person to lead the party into the next election.
The Labour Party has said nominations for a leadership contest will open on 9 July, with Sir Keir remaining in office until the process is complete.