A Labour councillor has branded Sir Keir Starmer “the worst prime minister of my lifetime” as he sensationally quit the party. Michael Graham, a cabinet member on Wakefield Council, launched a scathing attack on the PM in a statement announcing his resignation.

He blamed a series of policies by Labour, including stripping most pensioners of winter fuel payments and refusing to launch a national grooming gangs probe. Mr Graham, who will now sit as an independent, said: “I’ve watched as Keir Starmer cosplays as a patriot while failing to put the people of this country first.

“His leadership offers no bold vision, no true conviction – only political calculation and hollow rhetoric.

“Keir Starmer is the worst prime minister of my lifetime. He is completely out of touch – he just doesn’t get it."

Mr Graham said he was resigning because Labour had “lost its way” and “turned its back on the very people it once claimed to represent”.

He said: “It is with a heavy heart but a clear conscience that I announce my resignation from the Labour Party.

“I entered politics to serve the people – to stand up for fairness, for justice, and for those whose voices too often go unheard.

“But over recent months, I have watched as the Labour Party has turned its back on the very people it once claimed to represent.

“Promises have been made and broken with breathtaking ease – from the betrayal of WASPI women, who were left to shoulder an injustice that still remains unresolved, to the farmers and fishermen who were assured their livelihoods would be protected but now face growing uncertainty and neglect.

“Pensioners, too, have seen their support eroded – most notably through the removal of the winter fuel allowance, a move both cruel and short-sighted. And now we must brace for damaging changes to disability benefits, which threaten to leave some of the most vulnerable people in our communities worse off.

“Perhaps most disturbingly, the Labour leadership has refused to support a full national inquiry into grooming gangs – a decision that shows a staggering lack of courage and compassion for the survivors who deserve justice, transparency, and meaningful reform. This is not the action of a party committed to protecting the vulnerable or standing for truth."

Mr Graham added: “I can no longer, in good faith, stand under a banner that has strayed so far from its founding principles. The Labour Party has lost its way – and I have lost all faith in its ability to find it again."