LABOUR’S general secretary Hollie Ridley has announced she will stand down in the autumn after two years in the role.

Ms Ridley ran Labour’s field operations in the 2024 general election before being appointed general secretary in September that year.

Announcing her departure to party staff today, she said she would leave after Labour’s annual conference in September, having worked for the party for almost 16 years.

She told staff she was stepping down partly for personal reasons, and to allow Labour’s ruling national executive committee to choose a new general secretary to work with the party’s new leader, widely expected to be Andy Burnham.

Paying tribute to Ms Ridley, outgoing PM Sir Keir Starmer described her as “one of the most formidable campaigners the Labour Party has ever produced.”

Mr Burnham, the only declared candidate to replace Sir Keir, was expected to answer questions online this evening, submitted on a forum on Reddit.

Earlier, he said there was room for movement on tax despite pledging to keep Labour’s manifesto commitments not to increase workers’ income tax, National Insurance or VAT rates.

He told LBC: “I stick by the manifesto and the promises that it made. So let me be absolutely clear about that but there is some room within that manifesto for movement on tax.”

He suggested higher business rates on warehouses could fund a 20 per cent cut for pubs, lifting some high street businesses out of rates altogether.

He also ruled out “crude cuts” to the welfare bill, promised more help for young people into work and backed building more council homes to bring down the housing benefit bill.

Mr Burnham defended his decision not to take questions after his policy speech, saying he was challenging “the prevailing culture” of Westminster obsession.