Labour aides said the pair came to a mutual agreement for him to step down following the spring statement. It’s a move that may cheer left-wing Labour MPs who were glad to see McSweeney leave this month in the wake of the Peter Mandelson crisis, but leaves the party with another senior vacancy.
“We have come a long way to turn the Labour party around from electoral oblivion in 2019 to a historic general election victory just five years later, and it is a privilege to have been a part of that,” Pound said in a statement.
Reeves said Pound’s role “in transforming the Labour party and securing a historic general election win was nothing short of pivotal.” She added: “On entering government to a dire inheritance and a £22 billion Conservative black hole, he has played a key part in helping fix the foundations of the economy and deliver the change we were elected to do.”
“Matt Pound is one of the most talented operators in Westminster,” said a fellow special adviser. “There have been so many times in the past 18 months when his brilliance has been pivotal in keeping the show on the road.”
The move may be seen as another marker of the Starmer regime bending to Labour’s soft left, following internal defeats on welfare and a host of other policy U-turns.