ONE of the few Labour MPs to increase his vote in last week's election has called for Tony Blair to go.

John Austin, Labour's re-elected MP for Erith and Thamesmead, says his party's leader should step aside and make way for Chancellor Gordon Brown before next year's council elections.

Mr Austin, who has voted against the Government on numerous issues, says it became clear to him and many other Labour candidates during the election campaign the lack of trust in Tony Blair was a major issue on the doorstep.

He said: "People did not want to vote Tory but they were finding it very difficult to vote Labour because they did not trust Tony Blair."

He wants to see Mr Blair announce the timetable for his departure before the party conference in the autumn and to leave office by the end of the year.

He says if Mr Blair does not do so he would expect colleagues in the party to make a move against the Prime Minister.

Mr Austin has indicated he would be prepared to challenge Mr Blair himself for the leadership but said he felt there were other people much better qualified than him, to do so.

"But I wouldn't ask others to do what I am not prepared to do myself," he said.

"It is not a matter of being anti-Tony Blair," he insisted. "It is a question of when his time has come.

"It would be sensible to allow the new leader time to prepare for the next election."

He claimed his views were widespread among party members and were not confined to "the usual suspects".

"If you analyse the election results, no more people wanted to vote Conservative but there was a massive haemorrhage of the Labour vote.

"It is very difficult to go into an election saying vote for me but I am standing down."

He said there was a general expectation in the Labour Party Gordon Brown would succeed Mr Blair after the Prime Minister stepped down.