Welsh Labour MP throws support behind Prime Minister Keir Starmer

Emily Price 

A Welsh Labour MP who also serves as a Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister has said she will support Sir Keir Starmer in “getting on with the job”.

Monmouthshire MP Catherine Fookes issued a statement on Tuesday (May 12) warning that her party should not be “distracted by infighting”.

She said: “Over the past couple of days, I have received many emails and messages from residents sharing their support for the Prime Minister and making clear that they do not want a damaging leadership contest. Neither do I.

“People want the Government focused on the issues that matter most to them – tackling the cost of living, fixing the NHS, and combating violence against women and girls. They do not want us distracted by infighting.

“I support the PM in getting on with the job and look forward to the King’s Speech tomorrow where we will set out the next bold steps to build a fairer country.”

It came as questions were raised about whether Ms Fookes would use her “View from Westminister” newspaper column to reflect on calls for Starmer to leave Downing Street.

As one of three Parliamentary Private Secretaries Ms Fookes acts as a key liaison between the Prime Minister and his backbench Labour MPs.

The role is often described as the “eyes and ears” in Parliament.

Ms Fookes’ colleague Pontypridd MP Alex Davies-Jones resigned from the Home Office today describing last week’s election results as “catastrophic”.

She is believed to be a supporter of leadership hopeful Wes Streeting and is the third junior minister to step down, urging Starmer to lay out a timetable for his departure.

Two other Welsh Labour politicians are also amongst 83 of Labour’s 403 MPs now calling for Starmer to resign.

The Prime Minister vowed to fight on at Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, and was publicly backed by several loyal ministers.

A statement understood to have been signed by more than 100 Labour MPs, urged colleagues to come together behind the Prime Minister.

The statement said: “Last week we had a devastatingly tough set of election results. It shows we have a hard job ahead to win back trust from the electorate.

“That job needs to start today – with all of us working together to deliver the change the country needs.

“We must focus on that. This is no time for a leadership contest.”

MP Jess Phillips, the most high profile of the ministerial departures, criticised the Prime Minister’s failure to be “bold”.

Resigning housing minister Miatta Fahnbulleh, an ally of Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, said the public had lost trust in Sir Keir because of issues such as the scrapping of the winter fuel payment.

The Prime Minister earlier defied calls for him to vacate No 10, telling his Cabinet the country “expects us to get on with governing” and “that is what I am doing”.

He avoided being directly challenged as he declined to discuss his leadership during Tuesday’s gathering.

Sir Keir said he would only speak to ministers one-to-one about his fate, but did not do so once Cabinet concluded, according to sources.