The Tories have called for another general election less than five months after their landslide defeat.
Kemi Badenoch’s spokesman said the party was ready to go back to the polls after she invited Keir Starmer to resign so the Conservatives can take over.
At PMQs on Wednesday, Keir Starmer said the Tories “haven’t got a clue what they’re doing”.
Badenoch replied: “Mr Speaker, if he wants to know what Conservatives would do, he should resign and find out.”
Asked afterwards if the Tory leader really wants the PM to quit, her spokesman said: “Yes, we would love a go to get back in government and sort out the mess [Labour] have made.”
He was then asked if the party wanted another general election and said: “Why not?”
A Liberal Democrat source said: “Give us a chance, Ed’s wet suit isn’t even dry yet.
“Kemi Badenoch’s bizarre rant at PMQs shows the Tories have lost the plot.
“While Ed Davey challenged the prime minister with questions about the big issues of the day like winter fuel allowances or end of life care, Badenoch is indulging in petty political games.
“As the Conservatives fight the battles of yesterday, we will be fighting to make take even more bricks out of the Blue Wall come the local elections in May.”
Green MP and party co-leader Carla Denyer slammed the Tories’ suggestion.
She told HuffPost UK: “Kemi Badenoch is understandably trying to divert people from the dire record of the Conservatives in government over 14 years.
“It would be great if the Conservatives could reflect a little on their past failures, and choose to offer positive, constructive Opposition.
“We want Labour to deliver the real change needed to put the country back on its feet and that’s what we are pressing for every day in Parliament.”
Meanwhile, a petition on the parliament website signed by more than 2.7 million people calling for another election will be debated by MPs.
Petitions which receive at least 100,000 signatures are automatically considered for debate in the Commons.
Lib Dem MP Jamie Stone, who is chair of the public petitions committee, confirmed that the debate will take place on January 6.
Ironically, that will be the fourth anniversary of the coup attempt by Donald Trump supporters, who stormed the Capitol in Washington in an attempt to overturn the result of the 2019 presidential election.
Badenoch referred to the petition at PMQs, but Starmer told her: “We had a massive petition on July 4 in this country.
“We spent years taking our party from a party of protest to a party of government. They’re hurtling in the opposite direction.”