Angela Rayner urged the Conservatives to “call a general election” to “see where the country is” after two damaging by-election defeats for the party last week.
In a fiery clash with Dominic Raab over Prime Minister’s questions, Ms Rayner said the country “can not stand another eight years of Boris Johnson’s leadership”.
The Prime Minister is currently attending a NATO summit in Madrid and was therefore not present at the Commons, while Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer was also not present.
Ms Rayner pressed Tory MPs over their continued support for Mr. Johnson after losing Tiverton and Honiton and Wakefield to the Liberal Democrats and Labor last Thursday.
The Prime Minister has drawn criticism after saying he wants to rule “until the 2030s” despite dismal polls and growing unrest over his leadership among his own backbenchers.
“It is no wonder that the Prime Minister fled the country and left the esteemed member to look,” she said.
“His own backbenchers can not stand him for another eight minutes. “If they continue to support him, I doubt the voters will keep him in the ballot box for even 8 seconds.”
She claimed that Britons would endure a further 55 tax increases if Mr. Johnson would remain in the post for another eight years.
Mr Raab replied: “I gently point out to her that we want this Prime Minister to go much further than she wants the leader of the Labor Party.”
He remarked “we have a working majority of 75” and “we focus on delivering for the British people”.
Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab winks at Deputy Labor leader Angela Rayner
/ DAD“We will protect the public from these damaging rail strikes when we get the scene of Labor’s front bankers joining the strike lines,” he added.
Mr Raab claimed there was a “gap” in Labour’s policy offer, and said Ms. Rayner “delights it” because she wants to oust Sir Keir as Labor leader.
But she retorted: “I would like to see the opportunity for the people of this country to have more than just by-elections to see what they think of this government.
“Call a general election and see where the people are.”
In other developments, Mr. Johnson indicated that he would attend the G20 summit in Bali later this year, even if “pariah” Vladimir Putin was present.
Indonesia is hosting the summit in November and the Russian president, as a member of the Group of 20 Leading Economies, is invited.
The Prime Minister said that the boycott of the event out of protest against the invitation given to Mr. Putin directed, would give a “propaganda opportunity” to the Russian leader.