'Not Labour enough': MPs' despair at voters' verdict on government
"We are losing to everyone, everywhere."
That could be a quote from a Conservative, as the previous party of government struggles to rebuild trust with the electorate.
But it isn't.
It's a despairing message from a new Labour MP, elected in last year's general election landslide.
Labour had a terrible night when many of the county council seats up for grabs in Thursday's English local elections were last contested in 2021.
So far, today's results are even worse.
Labour should have been within shouting distance of regaining control of Durham -but their vote tumbled.
Before the result was announced, a former Labour MP texted to say - in colourful language – just how grim the political landscape was in the North East.
And where voters were determined to oust the Conservatives in Staffordshire, they turned to Reform UK not Labour to do so.
This has prompted calls for Sir Keir Starmer to change direction.
The Labour Mayor of Doncaster Ros Jones - who had her majority slashed - blamed the withdrawal of winter fuel allowance from most pensioners, and urged a rethink on the forthcoming cuts to personal independence payments (Pips) fordisabled people.
Labour MP Richard Burgon – a shadow minister under Sir Keir's left wing predecessor Jeremy Corbyn – agreed.
He said the current party leadership needed to "change course" and suggested that these policies were "driving away our own voters, and letting Reform squeeze through."
The Labour leadership won't be quaking in its boots when attacked by the Left.
But what is noteworthy is that - off the record - some MPs from across the party are making not dissimilar points, and have been contacting the BBC (and not vice versa) to make them.
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