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<\/p>\nRuth Jones said the Prime Minister cannot stay in place until 2029 but also argued Labour cannot ‘rush into this’<\/p>\n
Welsh Affairs Committee chair Ruth Jones MP(Image: Mark Lewis Photography)<\/p>\n
A Welsh MP has said Keir Starmer cannot be Labour leader at the next general election.<\/p>\n
Ruth Jones, who represents the Newport<\/a> West and Islwyn seat, is one of a number of Welsh MPs who has called for Keir Starmer to announce a timetable when he will stand down. The next general election has to take place by 2029.<\/p>\n Speaking to BBC<\/a> Radio Wales Mrs Jones said: “I think we need to set out a timetable for when he is going to stand down. Not yet, not in a rush, not in a hasty way.<\/p>\n “He’s done a brilliant job. He’s got us in, after one term in the wildness, got us in with a massive majority. Thank you very much Keir but now we need someone else to lead us into the next general election”.<\/p>\n She said: “He has made a lot of mistakes. He has U-turned. He has listened to us, which is great, but some of things like welfare reforms they were trying to bring in which we blocked, winter fuel payments which we’ve returned to, and the appointment of Peter Mandelson.<\/p>\n “I’ve been doorknocking for the last several months and that was coming up on the doorsteps a lot.” For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n Asked how much the loss in Wales was down to Mr Starmer she said it wasn’t all down to him but “it’s down to the overall impression of the Labour party<\/a> ast a UK level”.<\/p>\n She added: “He’s brilliant on the international stage but he’s not cutting through on the doorsteps as a leader with charisma and someone who is going to drive things through.”<\/p>\n She is one of around 40 MPs calling on the Prime Minister to stand down.<\/p>\n Asked how Welsh colleagues felt she said it was “difficult” for many of her cohort to say anything publicly as so many are ministers or linked to the government but she said privately there was “discontent”.<\/p>\n The Prime Minister was due to speak on Monday to fight for his political future. In the speech he was expected to say: “People need hope. We will face up to the big challenges and we will make the big arguments.<\/p>\n