A former Kent Labour MP says the party is failing to offer a credible alternative to voters at a time when it is needed most.

Paul Clark, who was the MP for Gillingham for 13 years under the Blair government, said the party was not, in its current situation, fit for government.

He said the party needed to “lance the boil” of its leadership and focus on providing a proper opposition to the government.

The comments by the veteran Labour figure were made in an interview on the latest edition of “Paul On Politics.”

He told the programme: “You have to have a strong leadership that is talking about the issues that matter to the people, whether it be on the streets of Medway or Dover or Ashford elsewhere...and have a credible alternatives. People have got to believe that you are fit for government and at the moment that is not there.”

His comments come as Jeremy Corbyn looks set to face a leadership challenge from Angela Eagle after losing support of the parliamentary party and continued disquiet over his performance.

The former Kent MP said the country needed a robust opposition to hold the government to account and Labour was not providing it.

“We have no leadership in government, no leadership in opposition and you need both to be strong at the best of times and particularly at this time, when the British people have voted to take us out of Europe and that will have fundamental ramifications.”