North East 'voted in sorrow rather than anger'
BBCPeople in the north-east of England voted "in sorrow rather than anger" in Thursday's local elections, a Labour MP has claimed.
Reform UK took control of Gateshead, Sunderland and South Tyneside from Labour and became the official opposition in North Tyneside. Newcastle council was left without a majority and all the seats up for grabs in Hartlepool went to Reform.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to remain in post and prove his "doubters" wrong.
But Catherine McKinnell, MP for Newcastle North and one of several North East Labour parliamentarians to call for Starmer to step down, said: "We are not connecting with Labour voters and they are not connecting with us."
In a statement calling for a new leader, she said that disconnect existed "despite some of the most profound reforms to children and families, housing young people, employment and immigration the country has seen in generations".
Meanwhile, the Hexham MP Joe Morris has quit as Health Secretary Wes Streeting's ministerial aide and called for the prime minister to set out a "swift" timetable to stand down.
He said: "Local councillors who have served their communities for decades, as well as first time candidates and the Labour members who campaigned for them, ended up taking the blame for decisions that were not theirs.
"I have boundless confidence in the Labour Party and in our ability to rise to this moment. However, regrettably, it is now clear that the prime minister no longer has the trust or confidence of the public to lead this change."
Ian Lavery, MP for Blyth and Ashington, said he believed that for many in the North East the decision - later reversed - to axe the winter fuel allowance felt like a betrayal in an areas which had been staunchly Labour.
"People here are struggling with the cost of living, they're struggling with energy costs and they just don't think we've delivered on what we promised in the election".
"On the doorstep all I heard was 'when will Starmer be leaving?'."
Speaking on BBC Tees, MP for Middlesbrough and Thornaby East Andy McDonald said: "I think we have crossed a watershed and I think the time has now come for an orderly transition to a new leader."
Other North-East Labour MPs who have publicly called for a new leader include:
- David Smith (North Northumberland)
- Kate Osborne (Jarrow and Gateshead East)
- Luke Myer (Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
- Jonathan Brash (Hartlepool)
- Mary Kelly Foy (City of Durham)
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said she was willing to give the prime minister more time but warned Starmer needed to "act quickly" if he was going to stay in power.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, the MP for Houghton and Sunderland South, was also among those who came out in support of their leader.
In a speech on Monday the prime minister said the government would focus on putting Britain "at the heart of Europe" and would go "much further" in investing in apprenticeships, technical excellence colleges and special educational needs.
Redcar and Cleveland MP and Labour party chair Anna Turley said Starmer had spoken "from the heart" during his speech.
"This moment isn't about giving up," she said. "It's about stepping up."
Other North East MPs who have backed Starmer include Newcastle East and Wallsend's Mary Glindon, Bishop Auckland's Sam Rushworth and Luke Akehurst who represents North Durham.
Glindon told the Local Democracy Reporting Service a leadership challenge would deflect from "what we should be doing" and said the prime minister should bring in a new cabinet "who are more in touch with what we promised people".
