Labour MP tells Keir Starmer critics to ‘come into the real world’ during berating of party base

Harris was joined by Welsh Labour’s deputy leader who told HuffPost UK that those on the left of the party were “making themselves look silly”.

The remarks come after a group of MPs, union, and Labour members called on Sir Keir to hold an emergency party conference amid speculation of a leadership challenge.

Sir Keir’s leadership has been called into question over the last week after a YouGov poll showed the leader languishing behind Boris Johnson as preferred prime minister.

The same poll revealed that only four per cent felt Labour had gotten “worse” under his leadership.

Harris told HuffPost UK’s Commons People podcast: “All this nonsense about so and so and so and so is going to challenge him for the leadership – bring it on, because it’s nonsense.

“(They are) just making themselves look silly.

“Talking on Zoom, that’s all they are doing, talking to each other on Zoom.”

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She added: “Come into the real world my loves and let’s talk about the damage that’s been done and the repair work that we’re doing.”

“When I see these articles – I’ve actually done it this morning – when I see these articles which say so and so, so and so is going to be challenging Keir for leader and we need a left-wing candidate,” the Swansea East MP said.

“That’s the time I think god, we’re getting it right. We must be doing it right because this is what it’s all about. You’ve got to move on haven’t you?

“We had that project, it failed abysmally, we were a laughingstock, let’s make no bones about it.”

On Wednesday, Labour MP Richard Burgon told BBC Politics Live: “We’re in the biggest crisis for decades and we’re not sufficiently cutting through at the moment.”

“It seems to many people that the leadership has shown more enthusiasm for attacking the left in the Labour Party than it has for properly holding the government to account for one of the highest coronavirus death rates in the world.

“That can’t go on, we need the leadership to take the fight to the Tories not take the fight to its own volunteers and members.”

This comes as No 10 says it is preparing to fight Andy Burnham at the next general election.

Downing Street believes Burnham is the most likely candidate to succeed Sir Keir in a leadership bid.

An insider told Politico: “We have to be prepared for every eventuality and it’s not impossible it’s Burnham rather than Starmer in 2024.

“We have to be ready to face someone else as Labour leader, and Burnham would be a different challenge.”