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General election: Pat McFadden calls for 'new direction' and end of Corbynism in the Labour Party

Pat McFadden has called for the end of "Corbynism" and a new direction for the Labour Party after a "shattering" election defeat.

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Labour's Pat McFadden has called for a 'new direction' in the Labour Party

Four seats were snapped up by the Tories in the Black Country, with two coming in Wolverhampton and in West Bromwich.

It came as the Conservatives took control in a blue tidal wave which resulted in a majority for Prime Minister Boris Johnson – with only three Labour MPs hanging on in the area.

Pat McFadden, who held the Wolverhampton South East seat, called on the party to adopt a "new direction" as he hit out at the Labour leader.

He said: "Perhaps the scale of it came as a shock, but it was clear Labour lagged behind the Conservatives, a long way behind, throughout the campaign.

"I think it was a mistake for Corbyn to support Boris Johnson’s strategy to have an election, at least around the slogan of ‘Get Brexit done’ and he chose to do that against the advice of many MPs.

"I think the biggest mistake Labour could make right now is to think it could just change its leader and carry on in the same away it has in the last few years.

"That would be the biggest mistake. Any leader who leads the party to such a shattering defeat has to go, but we need a new direction as well."

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The former Government minister said Labour could "never again" offer someone who the public refused to get behind.

He said: "We can never again offer a leader who many voters believe is on the wrong side of patriotism.

"People rightly expect their leaders to really believe in the country and too many voters don’t believe in Jeremy Corbyn.

"I think, on the broader policy front, the scale of nationalisation and confiscation alarmed many voters.

"People expect any programme, or Government, to be credible and desirable and they didn’t believe that.

"If we don’t face up to this we’re failing in our duty to the public.

"I’m focused on the change of direction now. I think there will be suspicion if he stays too long and the greatest mistake is to try to protect an outcome which means ‘Corbynism without Corbyn’ – we have to get rid of both.

"Over the past five weeks we’ve all heard ‘I’ve been Labour in the past’ or ‘I think you’re a good MP’ or something like that and then ‘I just can’t vote for Labour – we can’t have that man in number 10’ and we heard that time after time again as we went to knock on doors across the country.

Mr McFadden, who was sacked as shadow spokesman on Europe by the current Labour leader, added: "All I would say is four defeats in a row, based on ever more emphatic rejection of a formula which led us to three victories in a row, is a strategy which has failed."

The MP said he would "continue to do the best" for Wolverhampton South East and would be a voice calling for change in the Labour Party, "so many constituents can feel they can trust in us again".

John Spellar

Warley's John Spellar claimed the only victory in Sandwell, with the other Labour-held seats turning to the Conservatives, in a "very sad day" as he hit out at John Lansman, the founder of the left-wing, pro-Corbyn group.

Mr Spellar said: "Unfortunately Labour candidates lost out across the whole country, some good candidates too, as a result of a manifesto that was too ambitious.

"Jon Lansman (founder of Momentum) has been trying to run a civil war inside the party – and in Sandwell we saw the outrageous attack on Steve Eling, the former council leader.

"The electorate obviously thought if you’re a party that behaves like that, then do we really want you?

"It’s a very sad day for Labour but we can rebuild and re-grow.

Valerie Vaz held onto the Walsall South seat with a reduced majority.

"I now want to mount an attack on so many inefficiencies in Government, such as the mess of Universal Credit, the delays in immigration status, and also the length of time if takes people to be released from hospital beds.

“We want to get Brexit out of the way as quickly as possible then get on to other issues, such as rising crime, school places, and housing.

"I really want to get moving on issues that impact the lives of our community."

Valerie Vaz claimed the sole victory in Walsall South for Labour, with a reduced majority, whilst the Conservatives extended their majority in two others.