UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis has told the government to call a general election so that “the people, not the out-of-touch elite” can improve Britain’s fortunes.

Mr Prentis told the union’s annual conference in Liverpool that outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May must call a general election to end the Brexit deadlock.

Mr Prentis took a shot at Ms May who he branded a “failure” and said she had “achieved nothing in office.”

He also criticised the ongoing Tory leadership contest and labelled it “a cross between Britain’s Got No Talent, and I’m a Nonentity, Get Me Out of Here — a rogues’ gallery of chancers.”

Mr Prentis said that the “biggest chancer of all” was Boris Johnson, referring to him by his full name of Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson.

“This is a man who called a quarter of a million pounds a year from the Telegraph ‘chickenfeed’ and who now plans a tax cut for the richest in society while the country’s care services are in meltdown.

“The damage he could cause doesn’t even bear thinking about.

“We need a general election that will sweep away this terrible government, that will see the Labour Party enter Downing Street.”

Mr Prentis told Labour to remain united, saying: “I have high hopes for the next Labour government but we’ll never get one while there’s division and distrust.

“Divided parties never win elections. Public service workers need a Labour government like never before.

“A Labour government has the capacity to transform the country, the economy and society, and to embody our values, be a vehicle for our hopes and dreams.”