The chief executive of Labour Together was appointed after losing his seat in the 2024 General Election.
Jonathan Ashworth was one of seven MPs to lose their seats last year. (Image: Getty)
Jonathan Ashworth is quitting his role as chief executive of Labour Together after just one year. The former Labour MP lost his seat in the 2024 General Election, becoming head of the think tank just days after. However, Mr Ashworth is now leaving politics behind and plans to start a new podcast and write a book, The Spectator has reported.
Writing on X, political editor of the magazine, Katy Balls, said: “Jonathan Ashworth tells Labour Together staff he will be leaving his role end of July. After a year in the role, he is planning of writing a book and launching a podcast.”
Social media users responded with mixed reactions to the news, with one writing: “Last thing we need is another podcast.” Another added: “I like him but the political podcast market is getting very crowded.” Other users mockingly wrote: “Lucky for them”, while one sarcastically said it “sounds riveting”.
Jonathan Ashworth was appointed CEO of Labour Together after losing his seat. (Image: Getty)
Another posted: “Sinking ship and all that. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to defend the Government, and he struggled the other Sunday.”
Speaking on the podcast Coffee House Shots this morning, Mr Ashworth claims he was only ever going to do “12 months at Labour Together”, yet never publicly revealed that. “12 months will be July, as it was last July when I unexpectedly lost my seat”.
Mr Ashworth served as the MP for Leicester South from 2011 and became Shadow Paymaster General, leading up to the General Election. Despite a historic landslide victory for Labour, winning 411 seats, Labour Together’s CEO was one of seven MPs to lose their seats. He was defeated by independent Shockat Adam.
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“It was a great place to go when you unexpectedly lose your seat at a General Election and all your colleagues go in the other direction to the Government,” he emphasises.
The ousted Labour MP explains that he is “going to be working on a book about [his] life in Manchester”. This will be based around being “the son of a playboy bunny girl” and “some of the stories of Manchester in the 70s and 80s”.
He plans for his podcast to “rival” the one he was speaking on this morning, also revealing that he has “one or two other projects” in the pipeline.
