MP Stephen Timms has appealed to constituency party members to reselect him as East Ham’s Labour candidate for the next general election.

In a video posted online Mr Timms described the next time voters go to the polls as a "turning point" and criticised the prime minister, Boris Johnson, over his willingness to take the country out of the European Union without a deal.

In the 95 second plea to local Labour members, Mr Timms said: "It's been a huge privilege to serve as MP for East Ham for 25 years.

"I'm asking local party members to support me once again."

He went on to add that his "popular" surgery meetings helped build support for the party and reminded members that his 40,000 majority at the last general election in 2017 was one of the biggest in the country.

The 64-year old former financial secretary to the Treasury pledged his support for Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, saying he too wanted to tackle the "massive problems that have built up" since the party lost power at the 2010 general election.

"The next general election must be a turning point. We've got a wreckless Tory prime minister willing to take Britain out of the EU without a deal, perhaps even defying the law to do so.

"That would do untold damage to our part of east London," Mr Timms said.

As part of his pitch, Mr Timms added Labour needed to win a general election to put forward a new plan for Brexit which the British people would decide on in a second referendum.

He said remaining in the EU would also be on the ballot paper.

Pointing to his priorities for the constituency, Mr Timms went on to remark that East Ham has a "massive housing crisis" which needs to be addressed with a new programme of council house building.

The five-week delay after people apply for the universal credit benefit had to be abolished because it forces families to food banks, he added.

And overseas students who he said had been falsely accused of cheating in English language tests must get their visas back.

Voters are expected to go to the polls in the autumn.