Marsha de Cordova has quit her role on the Labour frontbench as shadow women and equalities secretary to focus more on her constituency.
De Cordova tweeted her resignation on Tuesday afternoon, saying it had been an “immense privilege” to serve in the role for the past 17 months.
“It therefore comes with much sadness that I am resigning with immediate effect,” she wrote.
“Having only been elected in 2017 for the historically marginal constituency of Battersea, I would like to focus more of my time and efforts on the people of Battersea.
“I will continue to support Keir Starmer from the backbenches.”
Starmer thanked de Cordova following her resignation.
“I would like to thank Marsha de Cordova for her service and in particular her work highlighting the disproportionate impact the pandemic has had on black, Asian, minority ethnic and disabled people,” he said.
“Marsha has also laid the foundations for a new race equality act that Labour would introduce to tackle the structural inequalities which have existed in our society for too long.”
Earlier this year de Cordova signed a letter alongside eight other Black Labour MPs expressing concern at the indefinite delay of the Forde inquiry, which was tasked with looking into a leaked report over the party’s handling of anti-semitism complaints.
The report also revealed party officials used a number of insults in private conversations to describe senior Black MPs and officials including Diane Abbott, Dawn Butler and Clive Lewis.
The nine MPs who signed the letter said they were “disappointed and seriously concerned” by the Forde inquiry delay and that it risked “further doubling down on the impression that the party does not take issues of anti-black racism seriously”.
HuffPost UK has approached de Cordova for comment.
A replacement for de Cordova has not yet been announced but sources told HuffPost UK that Florence Eshalomi, the Labour MP for Vauxhall, was being tipped as a replacement.
