MP Jamie Stone argues country has no confidence in Rishi Sunak's Conservative government as Liberal Democrats call for general election

Far north MP Jamie Stone has called for a general election after the Conservatives' vote in the local elections in England collapsed.

The Liberal Democrats tabled a motion of no confidence in the UK government as parliament returned for the first time since the results of the local authority elections.

The results saw the Conservatives lose more than 1000 seats in councils across England, with Labour, the Lib Dems and the Greens benefitting. The Liberal Democrats gained over 400 seats, including taking control of former "true blue" areas such as Windsor and Maidenhead, Stratford-on-Avon and Surrey Heath.

Mr Stone, the Lib Dem MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, is challenging the government to allow MPs to debate the motion as soon as possible, arguing that last week’s local elections demonstrated that “the public clearly has no confidence in Rishi Sunak’s out-of-touch Conservative government”.

If given time for debate in parliament, the motion could force a general election if it is passed by the House of Commons.

Mr Stone said: “The local elections in England showed that the public clearly has no confidence in Sunak or the Conservatives, so it’s time for a general election now. Let the whole country have its say."

The last time a government lost a confidence motion was James Callaghan’s Labour government in 1979, forcing an election five weeks later.

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.