The Labour candidate to be Worcester’s next MP says a general election can’t come soon enough.

Tom Collins was speaking after the controversial defection of Dover MP Natalie Elphicke from the Tories to Labour this week.

Mr Collins, who was at the election count at Perdiswell Leisure Centre last week to see Labour claim 17 seats on Worcester City Council, said: “Natalie Elphicke will sit as a Labour MP until Rishi Sunak finally decides to call the General Election and Mike Tapp stands as Labour’s candidate to be Dover’s new MP.

“Like a lot of people, I think our country needs a fresh start and the election can’t come soon enough!”

It’s up to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak when to decide to call a General election - but time is running out and with Labour well ahead in the polls, the pressure is on.

The current Parliament can be dissolved up to December 17 - five years to the day since it first met - but 25 working days are allowed to prepare for an election so January 28 next year is the latest a general election could be held.

“I can understand why Natalie would want to switch to Labour,” added Mr Collins. “I meet a lot of local people who share her view that the Conservatives have failed on governing immigration.

READ MORE: Lib Dem MP candidate astonished at Elphicke's Labour switch

READ MORE: Who will be Worcester's next MP? What we know about this year's general election

“I think there’s a growing sense that Labour’s approach would be much more sensible and much more effective, and we would tackle the huge backlog of immigration cases that has been allowed to build up.

“Lots of the people I speak to who voted Conservative at the last election are now ready to vote Labour.

“In terms of the current situation, I would rather see the House of Commons occupied by a new majority of freshly elected Labour MPs. We are all ready for a General Election and Rishi Sunak should call one now.”

Mel Allcott, the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Worcester, said she was astonished by Ms Elphicke’s move.

“I do not understand how Keir Starmer can welcome a right-wing MP who voted for Liz Truss,” said Cllr Allcott, who is now one of five Lib Dems on the city council.