This week talks about a potential conflict with Ukraine intensified as a number of countries spoke about taking a tough stance against Russia and its aggression towards Ukraine. This was amplified by a strong message from NATO General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg who said: ‘If Russia once again invades Ukraine, they will pay a high price and we will continue to expose Russia’s plans and actions to make it harder for them to conduct aggressive actions against Ukraine.”

A clear message and one that I’m sure many of us will agree with. Military action and the sending of troops into conflict should always be the last solution and all diplomatic efforts should be maximised with the aim of having a non-military outcome, but when it comes to geopolitics or any form of politics for that matter, Johnson should leave it to those that can actually do the job by stepping down as prime minister.

Under this prime minister, the UK's international standing and reputation has sadly been undermined and diminished as he puts party before country ahead of anything else. It’s hard not to write in a way that conveys my sheer frustration with this shambolic government that has dragged this country down to its knees with high inflation, high taxes and low growth, a cost-of-living crisis that is going unaddressed by Johnson and Chancellor Sunak which will create an even more unequal society.

We can be so much better than this. But to get better we have to vote for better and its vital that the country votes for Labour who have a plan for the economy, plan to invest in our key public services and ensure that no one is left behind as we move forward as one nation.

Under Johnson’s watch we have witnessed a prime minister lie to the House, caught out on more than one occasion for not telling the truth, throw unfounded slurs and allegations against his leading opponent and fuel further division in his own party. Whilst the heat has cooled off a bit, we all know that a lot of backbench MPs are ready to submit their letters of no confidence to Graham Brady MP, chair of the 1922 committee, but are probably still giving him one last chance.

Taking the party politics out of this, the fact of the matter is that a government that isn’t governing is nothing more than occupying the seat of power with no real progressive agenda or purpose. The opportunity cost is that UK politics will continue to stagnate until we have a change of government that will put forward a progressive vision for the country and the British people.

A consequence of which is that our credibility with the international community has been seriously damaged. But then what do you expect from a prime minister who would rather deal with another Tory drama as a result of his own incompetence to save his own skin than act as a prime minister who has the best interests of the British public at his heart and take a call with Vladimir Putin to try to offset the prospect of conflict between Russia and Ukraine?

Under Johnson's stewardship, we have a government that is more inward looking where having good relations with our international partners has been put on hold. Let’s not forget that under Theresa May’s premiership Johnson was her Foreign Secretary. He fundamentally failed in that role and true to form is failing the British people in his current role as prime minister.

What the people of the United Kingdom need right now is real leadership. Someone who will get on with the job of governing the country and making the right calls both big and small that are in the best interests of the British people. Fundamentally, someone that the British public can trust and that isn't Johnson. His time is up, and he knows it.

Contrast that with Sir Keir Starmer who only last week met with officials at NATO as he knows that when Labour wins the next election and forms the next government, we will inherit a legacy of chaos from the Conservatives, and it will be our role to rebuild Britain both domestically and internationally as we take our responsibilities seriously.

Unlike the current administration, the Labour Party is now the party of Britain, the party of business, the party of public sector workers, the party of aspiring entrepreneurs who will endeavour to make Britain the best country in the world again.

Barrie Cunning is a former Scottish Labour parliamentary candidate and is the Managing director of Pentland Communications.