Labour MP steps away from frontbench in wake of Plymouth mass shooting

SENIOR Labour MP Luke Pollard is temporarily stepping back from his role as shadow environment secretary following the shootings in his Plymouth constituency earlier this month.

Jake Davison, 22, killed his mother, Maxine Davison, 51, at her home in Plymouth before shooting dead four others on August 12.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said Mr Pollard was stepping back from his shadow cabinet role “so he can support his community after the shootings” in the Keyham area.

He will return for the autumn conference in late September and, in the interim, shadow farming minister Daniel Zeichner will lead Labour’s environment team.

Mr Pollard said the events in the Keyham area of the city had “shaken our community and have hit us all hard”.

He added: “Over the past fortnight our community, local councillors, the city council, the police and many more have stepped up to help. It’s my job as Keyham’s MP to be focused on the community at this difficult time. We will get through this and will get through it together.”

A party spokesman said: “Following the shootings in his constituency, Keir Starmer has agreed to a request by Luke Pollard MP to temporarily step back from his role as shadow secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs for the next month to focus on supporting the victims, their families and the wider Plymouth community.”

Davison’s victims included threeyear-old Sophie Martyn and her father Lee, 43, Stephen Washington, 59, and Kate Shepherd, 66. He turned the gun on himself before armed officers reached him.