MP Damian Collins says Sepp Blatter should step down immediately as Fifa president

Sepp Blatter should stand down immediately according to Kent MP and founder of the New Fifa Now campaign Damian Collins.

As the corruption scandal surrounding him deepens, Mr Blatter today said he would resign as president of Fifa, football's governing body, but offered only a loose timescale for his departure.

Announcing his decision earlier this afternoon, Blatter called for an extraordinary Fifa congress "as soon as possible" to elect a new president.

Sepp Blatter resigned this afternoon

But this is not good enough for Folkestone and Hythe MP Damian Collins, who has long called for Blatter's resignation through his New Fifa Now campaign.

The group says it wants Fifa to "have the same level of transparency and accountability that most citizens expect of their governments, major institutions and organisation."

Mr Collins said: "It's excellent news for world football the Sepp Blatter is going.

"I think he should really go sooner though, I think he should step down immediately.

"Maybe there could be an interim president, or an independent board that can lead Fifa through the process of reform it has to go through."

Damian Collins MP said the allegations spelled "the end of FIFA". Picture: Newsnight/BBC iPlayer

He appeared with former Tottenham midfielder David Ginola on the BBC's Newsnight programme last week calling for urgent reform to Fifa and Blatter's resignation.

Seven senior figures within Fifa were arrested two days before Blatter was re-elected as president, to serve what would have been a fifth four-year term.

Chatham and Aylesford MP Tracy Crouch has also welcomed Blatter's announcement, but warned this was only the beginning of the process to reform Fifa.