One of the Prime Minister’s longest-serving aides has reportedly stepped down in the latest blow to his leadership. Muneera Lula, a special advisor on policy who worked for ex-Deputy PM Angela Rayner before being poached by Sir Keir Starmer while Labour was in opposition, handed in her resignation to Number 10 this week, it has emerged. Ms Lula, who began working for Labour in 2021, was one of a shrinking number of special advisors with personal loyalty to Mr Starmer before she decided to exit the role this week, Patrick Maguire, chief political commentator at The Times, said.
It follows months of inner-party turmoil, with Ms Rayner handing in her notice over a tax scandal, US ambassador Peter Mandelson fired over his links to Jeffrey Epstein and sitting MPs calling for the Prime Minister himself to resign. Ms Lula’s departure will deal a further blow to Mr Starmer’s inner circle, however, having played a significant role in crafting Labour’s manifesto for the 2024 general election.
After working as a political advisor to Ms Rayner during opposition, Ms Lula was responsible for women, equalities, social cohesion and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in Downing Street.
“Yet another long-time loyalist leaving must have others in the building wondering who is next,” one inside source told Mr Maguire.
“Women and equalities was in terrible shape when she took over and she calmed down an extremely dangerous political area for Morgan [McSweeney]… Keir must be gutted,” another said.
Ms Lula is also just the latest in a number of senior aides who have stepped back from their government roles in recent months, including Steph Driver, also among the Prime Minister’s longest-serving confidantes, who left her communications job in late September.
Matthew Doyle, who previously worked as a special advisor for Tony Blair, left his position as director of communications in March and James Lyons, former political editor of the Sunday Times, departed his role as director of strategic communications after around a year last month.
It also follows four councillors from Birmingham resigning their party membership this week after raising concerns about local and national leadership and MPs Richard Burgon and Kim Johnson publicly calling for Mr Starmer to stand down after branding him “very unpopular”.
Downing Street declined a request for comment.