A Labour MP has warned Gordon Brown that an early election would be a "real problem" for constituency parties that have not yet chosen a candidate.

In an interview with The House Magazine, Mark Todd said that if the prime minister decides to go for a November poll it would create "dilemmas" for Labour's local branches which do not currently have someone to fight from the start.

Todd, who recently announced he is standing down from his South Derbyshire seat at the next election, said that the problem needed to be "weighed in the balance" as the prime minister makes his decision.

The MP said: "An early election would be a bit of a problem; my party has not made any progress in selecting a replacement for me yet - so we'd have some dilemma there.

"A very early election would catch me and a number of other colleagues out and could be a real problem that needs to be weighed in the balance."

Todd also said that following the Labour leadership transition there was now a real opportunity to renew the party and government, regardless of when the election comes.

"Tony Blair's administration was highly successful but with a very particular style, which arguably became tired and had some significant disadvantages to it," he said.

"This is an opportunity to renew, engage with new people, communicate in different ways, rethink some of ideas of how the government delivers services and I'm an optimist - I think we should be able to do that.

"It will require a significant effort on our part to achieve that but I think that people are focused."