Reform demands election as Streeting quits and Burnham plots | Politics | News

Labor is currently embroiled in a leadership crisis, with ministers resigning and around 100 MPs calling on the Prime Minister to step aside.

But Mr Kruger warned that the divide was bringing the country down due to “poor leadership” and called for a focus in Whitehall on reducing welfare and increasing the defense budget instead.

Speaking to a panel of MPs and politicians on BBC Question Time, he said Labor could not make the changes necessary to get the country back on track because backbench MPs would not allow it.

He called for a general election “as soon as possible” to end the deadlock in parliament.

Calls for change at the top grew after Wes Streeting resigned as health secretary earlier today and called for a change in leadership.

Following this, Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham announced his intention to return to parliament after the Labor MP stood aside to force a by-election.

Labor MP Jenny Chapman said voters were being treated like “pawns in your imaginary political chess game” and nothing could unseat her.

While he has said he will campaign on Mr Burnham’s behalf, his condemnation of how voters have been treated will undoubtedly cause ripples across the Labor Party.

Sir Keir will not stop Mr Burnham from standing in the election but he now needs to win over local members and then voters in the seat of Makerfield.

In the last local election Reform UK won every council seat in the area and Nigel Farage vowed to throw the kitchen sink at the seat.