For months, I have been calling for Keir Starmer to resign. His handling of the Mandelson affair demonstrated a failure of judgment, accountability and leadership that made his position untenable.

But his departure should not be mistaken for a fresh start. The truth is that the failures of the past two years run far deeper than one individual.

Labour came to office promising change and delivered drift. Time and again, it has announced policies with great confidence only to abandon them when the political pressure became too great.

Winter Fuel Payments were stripped away from millions of pensioners before a humiliating U-turn. The Family Farm Tax threatened generations of British farming before ministers were forced into retreat. A mandatory digital ID scheme was pushed through only to be abandoned. A grooming gangs inquiry was resisted for months before the government eventually conceded.

The same absence of conviction has been seen in the economy. Growth has stalled. Inflation has remained stubbornly above target. Britain now has the highest tax burden in modern times, while a welfare bill approaching £1 billion every day continues to grow.

Labour’s own analysis has acknowledged that its jobs tax has hit sectors such as hospitality and retail particularly hard. Meanwhile, strike action has cost the NHS £1.2 billion, enough to fund two new hospitals. The promise of 1.5 million new homes looks increasingly unrealistic, with even major voices in the sector warning it would take a miracle to achieve.

These are not the mistakes of one man. They are the consequence of a government without a clear philosophy, without the courage to make difficult decisions, and without the conviction to stand by the choices it makes.

Yet Labour MPs have not removed Keir Starmer because they have finally recognised these failures. They have not done so because they objected to the Mandelson affair, the economic mismanagement, the endless U-turns or the broken promises.

They have removed him because they believe changing the person behind the desk in Number 10 will improve Labour’s electoral fortunes.

They are mistaken.

Whether the next prime minister is Andy Burnham or anybody else, the same instincts remain: higher spending, higher taxes, greater dependence on the state, and the same tendency to retreat when confronted by political pressure. A new leader does not mean a new direction.

Nor should voters be fooled into thinking that other opposition parties provide a credible alternative. The Liberal Democrats have repeatedly backed Labour in Parliament while presenting themselves as its fiercest critics. Reform offers simple slogans but has shown that it is willing to increase taxes while claiming the opposite.

As your MP, I will continue to do what I have done since my election: stand up for our communities, challenge this government where it gets things wrong, and argue for a different future.

The crisis facing our country does not end with a new Labour leader.

It ends with a new government.

Only a Conservative government, with a clear plan and the backbone to deliver it, can get Britain back on track.