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Politics is a lot like football.

Both involve people working in a team.

One week you can be top of the league, the next week, you might slip a place.

But I’ve never for one minute wanted to give up my devotion for my team.

I’ve seen at first-hand what Labour Governments can achieve in power. Sure Start transformed my life as a mum and allowed me to get back to work.

Labour also introduced the minimum wage, built new schools and hospitals and cut waiting times for operations from 18 months to 18 weeks.

It’s heart-breaking to see all that work and investment destroyed by nine years of reckless Conservative rule.

(Image: PA)

That’s why I’m so passionate to see Labour return to power with Jeremy Corbyn as our Prime Minister.

He is someone who listens to his players, learns and leads. Under him, our policies inspired millions at the last General Election and our biggest increase in our share of the vote since 1945.

So I’m hugely disappointed to see seven of our MPs have decided to leave Labour and sit as independents.

Each and every one of them saw the number of people voting for them increase at the last election. People voted Labour to save the NHS, scrap tuition fees and ending austerity.

To walk away now is just wrong.

The only ‘independent’ thing they will achieve is to independently help the Tories stay in power and cause more havoc to our country.

So I call on each and every one of them to stand down to hold by-elections.

People voted for them because they wanted a Labour Government, not to deny one.

Supporting any team has its ups and downs.

But being part of a united team on the brink of victory, is the only way we’re going to change the country for the better.

It’s not the time to leave the field and start your own a seven-a-side.

I, along with the vast majority of Labour MPs, will continue to work flat out to remove the wretched Tories from power.

So we can deliver for the many not the few.

Angela Rayner MP is the Shadow Education Secretary