A local uprising has shook Sir Keir Starmer as 20 council members left Labour over the Prime Minister's leadership.

The council members, who are members of Nottinghamshire's Broxtowe Borough Council, charged Starmer with "abandoning traditional Labour values."

Milan Radulovic, the council leader, joined the Nottinghamshire uprising after more than 40 years of membership in the Labour Party.

Following a series of contentious policy decisions, including as the elimination of Winter Fuel Payments for 10 million seniors, irate council members were motivated to sever their links with Starmer's Labour.

Radulovic said he was "deeply saddened" to be quitting Labour but had been placed in an "impossible position".

"I cannot support and will not support another centrist government intent on destroying local democracy and dictating national policy from a high pedestal," he said.

Taking aim at Starmer’s plans to reorganise local authorities, Radulovic added: “I believe the concentration of power in the hands of fewer people and the abolition of local democracy through the current proposals of super councils is nothing short of a dictatorship, where local elected members, local people, local residents will have no say over the type and level of service provided in their area.”

The group also claimed that 100 local grassroots members had left the Labour Party.