'Wake up or hand No 10 to Reform' says MP

A Birmingham Labour MP has called for Keir Starmer to step down, saying the party must "wake up and smell the roses" or "may as well hand the keys of number 10 over to Reform UK."

Paulette Hamilton is one of the growing number of Labour MPs calling for the end of Sir Keir's premiership following crushing local election results.

The Birmingham Erdington MP said the result showed voters "don't trust what we are saying", adding: "What people did at the polling boxes in Birmingham, they decided 'we are not going to vote for Labour, we will vote for anybody else.'"

The prime minister vowed to fight on as leader in a speech on Monday morning.

It is a position the MP believes could do more harm than good.

"I would prefer if Sir Keir looked at what was going on in the country then decided on his own accord 'I do think we need to do an orderly transition' but as it stands at the moment, people are burying their heads in the sand.

"I have seen where we are and people are just not listening."

She added that although the speech was "well-meaning", much of it would not have got through to voters.

"Some of the things he's mentioned, I'm 100% behind him, but the residents of this city and across the country have told us categorically they don't trust what we are saying."

In his address, the prime minister said: "I know people are frustrated by the state of Britain, frustrated by politics, and some people, frustrated with me.

"I know I have my doubters, I know I need to prove them wrong, and I will."

He acknowledged his government had "made mistakes" and promised to take action to tackle the "big challenges" facing the country, but a lot now will hinge on the reaction from Labour figures.

Hamilton, a former Birmingham city councillor, said disillusionment with Labour could only be combatted by a new leader.

"I'm not one of these that normally do not support the Labour line, but I am telling people today that unless we wake up and smell the roses, we may as well hand the keys of number 10 over to Reform," she said.

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