Britain deserves better than this. Instead of thinking about what is best for the country, Labour have spent the past two weeks thinking about what is best for themselves.

At a time of economic and political difficulty, we need a strong and united Government. Instead we have a Government in complete chaos.

With eight of Gordon Brown's Ministers jumping ship one by one, the Prime Minister was unable even to run his own reshuffle. The British people should decide who runs the country, not Labour MPs.

If there was any doubt remaining, the recent local and European elections hammered home the message that voters want change and want it now.

Conservatives gained control of Councils across the country, including Devon and Somerset from the LibDems and Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Lancashire and Nottinghamshire from Labour.

In Shropshire Conservatives gained 54 of the 74 seats on the new Unitary Council.

For the first time in Labour's history, it now does not control a single county council in England. Labour won less than 20% of the vote for the first time since 1910 in the European elections, with the lowest share of the vote ever recorded by a serving government.

The Government is now in a state of paralysis. The critical issue facing this country remains helping people struggling to cope with the effects of the recession. Yet we have a divided government, led by a Prime Minister lacking a democratic mandate, lacking authority even in his own party, and preoccupied with saving his political skin to cling on to power.

It is time to go to the country and to let the people vote for change in a General Election.