Shadow transport minister Richard Burden has resigned, as part of the ongoing revolt against Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Mr Corbyn announced on Monday (27 June) that Andy McDonald would take over as shadow transport secretary, following the resignation of Lilian Greenwood.
Lilian Greenwood has resigned as shadow transport secretary
In his resignation letter, Mr Burden said he hoped Mr Corbyn would accept ‘that I have served loyally as shadow minister for strategic transport networks’.
However, he told Mr Corbyn that ‘digging yourself deeper into your trench is going to make a bad situation worse’ – a reference to Mr Corbyn making clear that he will not resign.
Mr Corbyn faces a confidence motion in a secret ballot of Labour MPs on Tuesday (28 June).
At the last count, around 20 members of the shadow cabinet had resigned or been sacked, as well as a similar number of junior shadow ministers.
Mr McDonald, MP for Middlesbrough since 2012, was promoted from the post of shadow transport minister, which he held from January.
Ms Greenwood told Mr Corbyn in her resignation letter that she had been ‘very proud’ to serve as shadow transport secretary, ‘and particularly to develop our policies of bringing rail services under public ownership and giving local communities a real say over local bus services’.
She added that it had been a privilege to lead a ‘dedicated and talented team’ of shadow ministers and said it was ‘vital that Labour sets out a clear alternative to the Tories failed record on transport, and in so many other areas’.
However, she said ‘new leadership is required to bridge the widening divides in our party, both in Parliament and in the country as a whole’.
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