Angela Rayner urged the Conservatives to “call a General Election” to “see where the country is at” after two damaging by-election defeats for the party last week.
In a fiery clash with Dominic Raab at Prime Minister’s Questions, Ms Rayner said the country “can’t stomach” another eight years of Boris Johnson’s leadership.
The Prime Minister is currently attending a Nato summit in Madrid so was not present at the Commons, while Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer also did not attend.
Ms Rayner pressed Tory MPs over their continued support for Mr Johnson after they lost Tiverton and Honiton and Wakefield to the Liberal Democrats and Labour last Thursday.
The Prime Minister sparked criticism after saying he wanted to rule “into the 2030s” despite dismal poll numbers and growing unrest over his leadership among his own backbenchers.
“It’s no wonder that the Prime Minister has fled the country and left the honourable member to carry the can,” she said.
“His own backbenchers can’t stomach him for another eight minutes. If they continue to prop him up, I doubt the voters will stomach him for even 8 seconds in the ballot box.”
She claimed that Britons would endure a further 55 tax rises were Mr Johnson to stay in post for another eight years.
Mr Raab replied: “I gently point out to her that we want this Prime Minister going a lot longer than she wants the leader of Labour Party.”
He noted “we have got a working majority of 75” and “we are focusing on delivering for the British people”.
“We will protect the public from these damaging rail strikes when we have got the scene of Labour frontbenchers joining the picket lines,” he added.
Mr Raab claimed there was a “gaping hole” in Labour’s policy offer, saying Ms Rayner was “revelling in it” as she wanted to depose Sir Keir as Labour leader.
But she hit back: “I’d revel in the opportunity for the people of this country to have more than just by-elections to see what they think of this Government.
“Call a general election and see where the people are.”
In other developments, Mr Johnson indicated he will attend the G20 summit in Bali later this year even if “pariah” Vladimir Putin is at the event.
Indonesia is hosting the summit in November and the Russian President, as a member of the Group of 20 leading economies, is invited.
The Prime Minister said that boycotting the event in protest at the invitation extended to Mr Putin would hand a “propaganda opportunity” to the Russian leader.
