David Evans appointed Labour's new general secretary after winning vote
Labour’s ruling body has appointed David Evans as its new general secretary, a move welcomed by the party’s leader, Keir Starmer, who said it would “restore trust and build a team that can win the next election”.
Evans, elected by the national executive committee on Tuesday, described his appointment as “an honour and a privilege”. He replaces Jennie Formby, a Corbyn supporter, who announced she was standing down shortly after Starmer was elected leader.
The vote was allegedly a close run between Evans, assistant general secretary in the early 2000s, and a trade unionist candidate, Byron Taylor, favoured by those on the left of the party. Evans was Starmer’s preferred choice, and the appointment strengthens his leadership over the party.
“It is an honour and a privilege to be appointed general secretary of the Labour party,” Evans said. “We face a defining period in the history of our great party, with a global pandemic, an imminent recession and a mountain to climb to win the next election. Through the strength of our movement, I know we can rise to this challenge.
“I look forward to working with our party, trade unions and members to build a team that can win us the next general election and give us the opportunity to once again serve the British people in government.”
The other candidates on the shortlist were Karin Christiansen, former general secretary of the Co-operative Party between 2012 and 2015 and the managing director of data polling and campaigns firm Datapraxis; Andrew
Fisher, former Labour executive director of policy and research under Jeremy Corbyn; Neena Gil, a former West Midlands MEP; and Amanda Martin, president of the National Education Union.
Starmer said: “I want to congratulate David on his appointment as general secretary. He brings a wealth of experience to this crucial role and a clear understanding of the scale of the task ahead of us. I look forward to working with David to build a team that can help us restore trust with the British people and build a team that can win the next election.”Evans was also welcomed by the deputy leader, Angela Rayner.
The new general secretary worked for Labour between between 1995 and 2001 and went on to set up the political research organisation The Campaign Company, of which he was director. He was a councillor in Croydon from 1986 to 1990.
The website Labour List reported that there have been concerns about Evans within some ranks of the party after he wrote a report in 1999 that described local parties as “dysfunctional” and compared them to Del Boy’s “Trotters Independent Traders”.
Trade unions on the left have said the report recommended a “radical overhaul” of the party that could “empower modernising forces within the party and marginalise old Labour”.
Evans also co-authored a report into Labour’s 2015 general election loss which called for the party to be more fiscally prudent and “small-c conservative” on family, work and the country. A former Corbyn staffer described this as principles not characteristic of the views of the membership in 2020.
The Jewish Labour Movement, a Labour affiliate, tweeted: “We look forward to working with him to ensure Labour deals with its flawed disciplinary processes and the toxic culture in local parties, including acting on the 19 steps we set out for his predecessor.”