Labour general secretary Hollie Ridley to stand down after two years
Hollie Ridley has announced that she will step down as general secretary of the Labor Party after two years in office.
Ms Ridley, a key ally of Sir Keir Starmer who runs Labor’s field operations in the 2024 general election, told party staff on Friday she would step down in the autumn.
He told colleagues he was resigning partly for personal reasons and also that he would allow Labour’s ruling national executive committee to choose a new general secretary who would work alongside the party’s new leader. This general secretary is expected to be Andy Burnham.
It is understood Mr Burnham has been in contact with his team and other potential leadership candidates to inform them of his decision and emphasize his determination to support the next prime minister.
Paying tribute to Ms Ridley, Sir Keir Starmer described her as “one of the toughest campaigners Labor has ever produced”.
He said: “He set up and led the ground campaign that delivered our general election victory and allowed us to start changing Britain, and served our party with distinction as general secretary.
“I want to thank him for everything he has done for our party, our country, and me as a leader. I am proud to work with him and wish him the best going forward.”
Ms Ridley, who is also an ally of Morgan McSweeney, has faced some criticism from within the party in recent months for not taking the Green Party threat seriously enough in the Gorton and Denton elections.
Party chairman Anna Turley said Ms Ridley was a “leading campaigner” who was “highly respected by party staff, Labor members and our whole movement”.
Ms. Turley added; “Rarely have I met anyone with such determination, resourcefulness and commitment to supporting other working-class women to be at the top of their game.”
Described as a pioneer for senior women in the party and having been with the party for almost 16 years, she will leave after Labour’s annual conference in September.
Miss Ridley, a family support worker and the daughter of a lorry driver, grew up in Dagenham and started working as a trainee party organizer in 2011.
As she climbed the ranks over the next decade, she was also credited with expanding opportunities for women in the Labor Party, making it through the first two rounds of the party’s Jo Cox Women’s Leadership programme.
Ms Ridley went on to run Labor’s field operations in the 2024 general election before being appointed general secretary in September that year.
