Makerfield MP Josh Simons calls for Prime Minister to step aside following Labour losses

Josh Simons has called on the Prime Minister to set out “an orderly timetable” for his departure after Labour suffered major losses across Wigan borough in last week’s local elections.

The Makerfield MP shared a lengthy statement on Facebook on Sunday, saying he had “heard the message” from voters and believed Labour had “drifted from working class people”. 

He wrote:

“I always listen and I always take action. I heard the message you sent at these elections: Labour has drifted from working class people. Our actions do not meet the challenges facing our country. We constantly talk big, and act small.”

Simons said he wanted to see “big things done locally” but also wanted “a Labour Party that represents our towns and our people”.

The comments come after Labour failed to win a single seat on Wigan Council in Thursday’s local elections. Reform UK won 24 of the 25 seats, while the 25th, Atherton North, stayed Independent.

Alongside the Facebook post, Simons also shared a much longer opinion piece published in The Times, where he expanded on why he believes Labour is losing support in towns like Wigan.

In the article, he described speaking to a lifelong Labour voter while campaigning in Ashton-in-Makerfield.

He wrote:

“She had voted Labour all her life… but she could not vote Labour again. She had no idea who or what we stood for and felt hopeless.”

Simons also pointed directly to the local election results, saying:

“In Wigan, Labour lost every ward. Our vote tanked but turnout also increased, in some cases massively.”

The MP said many voters feel ignored by mainstream politics and warned Labour could not continue defending the “status quo” while people struggle with rising bills, poor infrastructure and pressure on public services.

He added:

“Putting the people I represent and the country I love first, I do not believe the prime minister can rise to this moment. He has lost the country.”

Despite his criticism, Simons praised the Prime Minister for previous achievements, including reforming Labour and leading the party to election victory, but said the country now needed “radicalism, energy, and immense courage”.

And after Labour’s election battering across Wigan borough last week, his comments will definitely get people talking.