Labour seeks new party general secretary as tributes paid to outgoing David Evans

Labour general secretary David Evans is set to stand down from his post at party conference, the party has confirmed.

Evans, who became general secretary in May 2020, said that the time was right for him and the party for someone new to hold the post following Labour’s success at the general election.

He will step down from the position at the end of Labour’s party conference in Liverpool later this month.

Who do you think should be in the running to be Labour’s next general secretary? Email us at [email protected].

Evans said: “It has been the privilege of my life to be general secretary for the Labour Party. It has always been my plan to serve for one general election, and take the organisation from shattering defeat to being a party of government.

“Now both have been achieved, it is the right time both for me and the party for a new general secretary to take over.

“A new General Secretary being in post from the end of this year’s conference will give them the necessary time to lead the next chapter of change, taking over at the same early stage of the political cycle that I did.

“All my thanks go to the Labour Party staff, representatives and volunteers – without their hard work and support our successes simply would not have been possible.”

Evans’ key achievements include leading the organisation in turning Labour’s electoral fortunes around, managing the party’s finances to deliver the best funded general election in Labour’s history, playing a key role in rebuilding the party in Scotland and helping secure the most by-election victories of any general secretary. He also led the organisational response to the EHRC report into antisemitism and worked to rebuild relations with the Jewish community.

Prime Minister and Labour leader Keir Starmer said: “David has been a hugely consequential general secretary. It is in no small part down to David’s leadership, vision, and courage that we rebuilt the Labour Party and secured a landslide election victory in July.

“He has been at the very centre of my mission to change the Labour Party, overhauling the organisation to face outwards to voters, working unfalteringly to remove antisemitism and setting the highest standards for every aspect of our campaign machine.

“He leaves the Labour Party organisation in a strong position, ready for the challenges of the future.

“On behalf of the whole Labour Party we thank him for his service to our party and look forward to him making significant contributions in the future.”

LabourList understands the NEC will meet shortly to discuss a timetable for appointing a new general secretary.

Reacting to the news, Luke Akehurst, MP for North Durham, NEC member and influential secretary of Labour First – a group or self-described moderates – said: “David will be a very tough act to follow. He took the party machinery from chaos, cash crisis and ruin to smoothly winning a landslide.”

MP for Burton and Uttoxeter Jacob Collier took to social media to praise Evans and said: “My seat would not have been a Labour gain, and we wouldn’t have a Labour government, had it not been for the work of David and his team.”

Exeter MP Steve Race described Evans as “one of our absolute great general secretaries”.

He said: “He picked up a broken and bankrupt organisation, built a brilliant team and turned it into a general election-winning operation. He also worked to ensure candidates were well-equipped for the campaign.”

The Jewish Labour Movement credited Evans for working “tirelessly as general secretary to rid the Labour Party of antisemitism and restore it to electoral respectability”.

However, a spokesperson for Momentum was critical of Evans and said: “David Evans’ time as Labour general secretary was ridden with attacks on members’ rights, corrupt selection processes and the misuse of the online voting system Anonyvoter.

“The new general secretary must stand up for members’ rights and due process within the party.”

READ MORE: Sign up to our must-read daily briefing email on all things Labour

SHARE: If you have anything to share that we should be looking into or publishing about this story – or any other topic involving Labour– contact us (strictly anonymously if you wish) at [email protected]. 

SUBSCRIBE: Sign up to LabourList’s morning email here for the best briefing on everything Labour, every weekday morning. 

DONATE: If you value our work, please donate to become one of our supporters here and help sustain and expand our coverage.

PARTNER: If you or your organisation might be interested in partnering with us on sponsored events or content, email [email protected].