A senior union chief has called for Angela Rayner to replace Sir Keir Starmer as she accused the Prime Minister of leading the party into a heavy election defeat to Reform UK.

General Secretary of the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) Maryam Eslamdoust has said it was “time Labour had a woman leader” as she took aim at the Prime Minister.

While Ms Eslamdoust is not the first union leader to call for the Prime Minister to step down, she is the first to directly call for Ms Rayner to replace Sir Keir.

She told The Guardian: “The Tories have had three women Prime Ministers and four leaders and we’ve had none. I think Angela Rayner is a credible figure.

“I think some women MPs are making a lot of noise around there needs to be a woman deputy, but if they’re serious about that, they need to put their money where their mouth is and support Angela Rayner.”

Ms Eslamdoust, a former advisor to Jeremy Corbyn, urged the party to move to the the left, calling for stronger protections for workers rights and nationalisations in the rail, water and energy industries.

Sources close to Ms Rayner were quick to downplay rumours of any potential contest between the former Deputy Prime Minister and Sir Keir.

A spokesman for Ms Rayner said: “There is no contest and no vacancy. Angela has been clear Labour must come together, avoid distraction and work as a team to deliver for the public.”

A Downing Street spokesman said: “Keir Starmer is one of only four Labour leaders ever to have won a general election. He has a clear five-year mandate from the British people to deliver change and that is what he will do.”

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Here’s what’s happening today

Good Morning and Happy Friday from all of us on the GB News Politics team, here’s what’s driving the agenda today.

The Liberal Democrats have laid down the gauntlet to Sir Keir Starmer as they urged the Conservatives to join them and kill off Labour’s bid to postpone elections this May. Our Chief Political Correspondent Katherine Forster has the exclusive story here.

Suella Braverman is the guest on this week’s Chopper’s Politics Podcast, where the former Home Secretary told our Political Editor she would be happy if Nigel Farage pursued socialist policies if he became Prime Minister. You can listen to the full interview with Reform’s newest MP here.

Zack Polanski’s Green Party is set to hold a vote on legalising heroin in a bid to make a more “inclusive” society, with party members having their say on the matter at the Green’s Spring Conference. Our reporter Peter Stevens has the story here.

While Parliament is in recess, the High Court is set to rule at 10 am on whether the Home Office’s decision to ban Palestine Action under anti-terrorism legislation was lawful.

Here on GB News, we’ll be joined by Shadow Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho and Water and Flooding Minister Emma Hardy.