Josh Simons, the Labour MP for Makerfield, has resigned from parliament after just two years in the seat, a move that clears the path for former Labour leadership candidate Andy Burnham to run for a byelection. The 32-year-old, who previously ran the thinktank Labour Together and served briefly as a Cabinet Office minister, announced his decision in a resignation letter, stating he was putting his constituents first and that a "shock to the Westminster system" was needed.
Simons has been a vocal supporter of Burnham as a potential successor to Prime Minister Keir Starmer. His resignation comes amid growing tensions within the Labour Party following poor local and devolved election results. Simons was among the first to publicly call on Starmer to set a timetable for his departure, despite having previously led Labour Together, which helped propel Starmer to power and shaped his policy agenda.
Praise and Criticism
Burnham supporters have praised Simons for his decision, with one describing him as having "literally put the party and the country first – like everyone else lectures we have to do – he's done it." Burnham himself commended Simons for the "difficult decision and sacrifice that he and his family are making." However, many MPs have been critical of Simons in recent months, particularly over his involvement in a scandal concerning the gathering of intelligence on journalists.
After entering parliament, Simons quickly rose through the ranks, becoming a ministerial aide and later being promoted to a role in the Cabinet Office in September last year. He resigned from the government in February after it emerged that Labour Together had commissioned the public affairs agency APCO to investigate journalists reporting on the thinktank. The Guardian revealed that Simons had personally commissioned and reviewed APCO's work on journalists looking into the group's funding. Simons said he was "surprised" and "furious" at the report but eventually stepped down, stating his position had become "a distraction from this government's important work."
Political Background
Simons, who has family from Bury, Greater Manchester, studied at the University of Cambridge before working for the Labour Party and later as a research scientist on artificial intelligence at Meta. In 2022, he joined Labour Together as its director, and two years later, he was selected for the Makerfield seat. One Labour source described him as "immensely bright and incredibly hard working," but noted that his frustrations with the party and his zeal for tackling antisemitism among the hard-left ultimately led to his downfall.
However, his past at Labour Together, which was once a vehicle for organizing against former leader Jeremy Corbyn, is unlikely to endear him to the left of the party. He is also seen as close to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who is more aligned with the Blue Labour right than Burnham, who has become a favorite of the soft left.
Future Prospects
Despite leaving parliament, Simons has hinted he will remain close to Burnham. In his resignation letter to constituents, he wrote: "If you place your trust in Andy, we will restore our towns to the places they should be, rip up the existing system and build a new one that puts you at the heart of it. With Andy, I will fight for that, and for you, every step of the way." Many colleagues believe this is not the last they will hear of Simons, as he is expected to play a key role in Burnham's potential leadership campaign.
