Sir Keir Starmer being replaced as Labour leader is "inevitable", a union chief has declared. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham warned that the Government risks "sowing the seeds of its own destruction" if his successor in Downing Street does not "depart from its current path".

Mrs Graham said Britain is "rudderless" as she demanded a wealth tax and the scrapping of net zero policies. Writing in The Times, she said: "The doom loop cannot be broken with more austerity lite, no matter who is in Downing Street.

"Britain needs vision. We led the first Industrial Revolution and we are nowhere in the fourth. Rudderless.

"There is much agonising right now about whether, when and who should replace the prime minister. That is inevitable. But a new Labour leader with the same policies won’t cut it.

"Replacing Keir with Angela, Andy, Wes or Ed won’t persuade workers to return to the fold if they are just offering more of the same in a different voice."

Ms Graham added: "In the coming year, if this Government does not depart from its current path, it will surely be sowing the seeds of its own destruction."

Unite, which is Labour's biggest trade union backer, has been a fierce critic of the Government including over the winter fuel payments policy.

There have been reports that the union could hold a historic vote on splitting from Labour.