HUDDERSFIELD MP Barry Sheerman has called for the Prime Minister to resign.

The veteran Labour backbencher told the Examiner that Gordon Brown should go because he had failed to win the “love” of voters.

But a Huddersfield Labour councillor said party members in the town backed the Prime Minister.

Mr Sheerman is a prominent critic of Mr Brown, but hadn’t explicitly called for him to go until yesterday.

When asked if he wanted the Prime Minister to resign, Mr Sheerman paused before responding: “Yes. It’s time for him to make way for a new leader.

“We need new leadership and new thinking.”

The Huddersfield MP added that Mr Brown had not won the voters’ affections. He said: “I think over the last two-and-a-half years he hasn’t shown that he can engage with the electorate. I think they respect him to a large degree, but they have failed to fall in love with him. You need that mixture of love and respect.”

Mr Sheerman said that Mr Brown and his predecessor Tony Blair had “served their time”.

He added: “They have done wonderful things for the party but it’s time to move beyond that.”

When asked who should replace Mr Brown, the Huddersfield MP replied: “I’ve got no preference. There are very talented people like the Miliband brothers, Alan Johnson, James Purnell and John Cruddas.”

Mr Sheerman believes Labour has enough time to change leaders, even though the next general election must be called by June.

He said: “It’s not too late. I imagine Number 10 will say it’s too late, but everyone knows we could have an immediate leadership election which would give the new leader 100 days before the general election.”

Mr Sheerman’s words may cause him problems with the Huddersfield branch of the Labour Party.

In June he was summoned to an emergency meeting of Huddersfield party members to explain why he had called for a secret ballot on Mr Brown’s leadership.

His electoral agent Clr Mehboob Khan said at the time that the Huddersfield branch backed the Prime Minister.

But Mr Sheerman said yesterday that he has the support of the Huddersfield branch’s General Management Committee, a 40-strong group of senior activists which meets every month.

He said: “The local party has known since June about my worries about Gordon Brown’s leadership.” Mr Sheerman said a “clear majority” of the committee supported him.

But Clr Barbara Jones, deputy chairman of the Huddersfield Labour party, disagreed yesterday.

She said: “In the General Management Committee there is little support for replacing the Prime Minister. We are aware of Barry’s position, but he has not come back to us to reassert that position or to endorse going public.”

Clr Jones, who represents Greenhead on Kirklees Council, added that she supported Mr Brown. She said: “I think the Prime Minister should be allowed to continue. I don’t think he’s doing a bad job at all. He’s kept a consistent and sturdy line throughout the financial crisis.”

Clr Jones thinks Mr Sheerman’s comments will make it hard for some activists to campaign for him at the general election.

She said: “I hope we can get it sorted out by the election so we are able to campaign for him without embarrassment.”

Clr Andrew Cooper, the Green Party’s Huddersfield candidate at the next election, criticised Mr Sheerman yesterday.

He said: “I don’t know where Barry disagrees with Gordon Brown on policy. Barry supports increased tuition fees and replacing Trident. He spoke in favour of the Iraq War.

“He believes in practically everything that Gordon Brown believes in.”

Mr Sheerman has been a frequent critic of Mr Brown and his allies in the last six months.

June 2009: Mr Sheerman calls for a secret ballot of Labour MPs to see if the Prime Minister still has their support following the party’s drubbing at local and European elections.

July 2009: The Huddersfield MP says Mr Brown has until the end of the summer to prove he can turn around the party’s poor poll ratings after defeat at the Norwich North by-election.

September 2009: The veteran backbencher says voters are “tired” of Labour and that Mr Brown must use his party conference speech to show he has learnt from his mistakes.

October 2009: Mr Sheerman describes schools secretary Ed Balls – a key ally of Mr Brown – as “a bully” for his handling of the appointment of the new Children’s Commissioner for England.

December 2009: The Huddersfield MP tells the Examiner that Mr Balls is “cheating” in another row about a civil service appointment.