Labour must unite behind Sir Keir Starmer or risk defeat by Reform UK at the local elections next year, Lucy Powell has warned.

The deputy leader cautioned against “navel-gazing” or “throwing bricks from the sidelines” and said the party must come together to get its message across before next May.

Her intervention comes after a difficult few weeks for Government dominated by speculation about a challenge to the Prime Minister’s leadership and pressure surrounding the Chancellor’s November budget.

Writing for the Mirror, Ms Powell said the autumn statement had been “unashamedly Labour”, citing the decision to lift the two-child benefit cap and impose a so-called “mansion tax” on high-value homes.

“A Labour Government, led by Keir Starmer, for the many, not just the few,” she said.

“I

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