Labour's general secretary, Hollie Ridley, has announced she will resign from her position this autumn, shortly after the party's annual conference in September. Ridley, who has served as general secretary for nearly two years and is a close associate of Sir Keir Starmer, stated it was appropriate for the party's National Executive Committee (NEC) to appoint a new general secretary to work with the incoming leader.
In an email to party staff, Ridley emphasized that the next leader would have her full support in continuing the party's work. Sir Keir Starmer praised Ridley as "one of the most formidable campaigners the Labour Party has ever produced," crediting her with leading the ground campaign that contributed to Labour's landslide general election victory in 2024.
Ridley, who began working with the Labour Party in 2011, became the third female general secretary in the party's history in October 2024. She cited her early involvement with the party as a response to the rise of the British National Party in her hometown of Dagenham, east London. Throughout her tenure, she held various party roles and was recognized by Jessica Morden, chair of Labour's parliamentary party, as an "extraordinary servant" for her work on leadership programs and election victories, including the Peterborough by-election in 2019.
The general secretary role is responsible for the operational management of the Labour Party, including the execution of election campaigns and oversight of paid staff. Should Andy Burnham succeed Starmer as prime minister, he would have the opportunity to influence the NEC's decision on the party's operational leadership. Burnham is currently the only declared candidate to lead the party.