Jonathan Ashworth ‘to quit as Labour Together CEO in July’

Jonathan Ashworth is set to leave his role at Labour Together at the end of July, The Spectator has reported.

Ashworth, who became chief executive of the think tank days after the general election, told the magazine’s Coffee House Shots podcast that he would be quitting after just over a year in the post.

He had served as the MP for Leicester South from 2011 and became Shadow Paymaster General in the year leading up to the general election.

However, he was one of the seven Labour MPs to lose their seat, being defeated by independent Shockat Adam by less than 1,000 votes.

He said: “I always, to my friends anyway, that I would do 12 months at Labour Together, so in July I will be moving on.

“It’s been absolutely great, I’ve loved it, and it was a great place to go when you unexpectedly lose your seat at a general election, but I always said I’d give it 12 months.”

Ashworth also told the podcast he is planning to write a book about his life in Manchester in the 1970s and 80s and launch a new podcast, along with “one or two other projects”.

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