The fallout from Labour's bruising local election results in Plymouth and across the country has spectacularly fractured Plymouth’s political landscape.
As Labour's Fred Thomas comes out against the Prime Minister, he has ignited a full-blown civil war within the local Labour Party.
In an explosive statement, Plymouth Moor View MP Fred Thomas has publicly called for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to step down, citing the party’s disastrous performance at the polls.
In his public letter, Thomas did not mince his words about the damage done on his own doorstep, stating:
"Last week we saw countless hardworking, brilliant Labour colleagues lose their seats. In my patch, entirely to Reform UK."
Concluding that the public is not feeling the "promise of change", Thomas declared:
"It is clear now that to deliver on our promise of change and to secure Britain’s future, we must look to a new leader."
But if Thomas was hoping for a united Plymouth front against Sir Keir Starmer, he has been left sorely disappointed.
Over in Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, MP Luke Pollard took to social media to announce he is staying put. Citing his role as Defence Minister, Pollard struck a starkly different tone to his Moor View colleague. He said:
"With our troops deployed round the world, with threats building towards the UK and our allies, my responsibility as Defence Minister is to put our country first."
"Whatever is happening elsewhere in British politics, national security is the first responsibility of government. That is why I will not be resigning."
Luke Pollard and Fred Thomas have until now been close political allies. At points, it has been difficult to tell the two men apart, with Thomas even borrowing Pollard's familiar "hello Plymouth" catchphrase in his social media videos.
Alongside Tudor Evans, Plymouth Labour has projected a united front.
However, as Thomas is now actively working to topple the Prime Minister, many are asking what this means for the internal dynamics of Plymouth Labour.
Does this glaring split between Plymouth's two Labour MPs highlight a wider, deepening rift within the local party?
And does it place Fred Thomas on a direct collision course with Starmer loyalist and Plymouth City Council's Labour leader, Tudor Evans?
While Fred Thomas is busy trying to play kingmaker in Westminster, serious questions are being raised by constituents about his own track record as an MP.
Since taking the Moor View seat in 2024, Thomas's parliamentary performance has been criticised, having made just 65 spoken contributions in the House of Commons.
Just over the border in South West Devon, Conservative MP Rebecca Smith has just been celebrated in Polimonitor's independent rankings as one of the hardest-working new MPs in the country.
According to the latest parliamentary activity reports, Smith ranks 10th among all new MPs for spoken contributions, clocking up an impressive 271 spoken contributions in 2025.
As the national Labour Party descends into infighting and Plymouth Labour splits down the middle, Moor View voters might rightly wonder whether their MP should be spending less time plotting leadership coups and more time matching the work ethic of his constituency neighbours.
One thing is certain: the unified front Plymouth Labour projected in 2024 is well and truly dead.
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