Starm before the storm? PM survives the day but crisis still looms.
Sir Keir Starmer has insisted he is “getting on with the job” following a punishing 24 hours in which he lost his Chief of Staff, his Director of Communications and the support of Labour’s leader in Scotland as the fallout from the Peter Mandelson scandal threatens to collapse the government.
As leadership speculation continued to swirl around Westminster, the Prime Minister last night addressed a packed meeting of Labour MPs and peers, telling them he was not prepared to “walk away from my mandate”.
“I’ve won every fight I’ve been in,” he said. “As I have breath in my body, I’ll be in that fight, on behalf of the country that I love and I believe in.”
Another dramatic day in SW1 that began with Downing Street reacting to the sudden departure of Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney on Sunday. The long-standing Starmer aide and architect of Labour’s 2024 election victory said he took “full responsibility” for advising the PM of Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador. Starmer attempted to rally Downing Street staff on Monday morning, telling them “we go forward from here…we go with confidence as we continue changing the country.”
Moments later, the veteran spin doctor Tim Allan, Starmer’s fourth Director of Communications in 18 months, quit. In a short statement, Allan said “I have decided to stand down to allow a new No 10 team to be built…I wish the PM and his team every success.”
‘The chaos needs to end’
While Westminster digested the news of the second senior departure from Number Ten in 24 hours, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar called an emergency press conference at which he called for Starmer to resign, saying “the situation in Downing Street is not good enough, there have been too many mistakes.” Sarwar added that “the leadership…needs to change” and “the distraction needs to end.”
Prior to Sarwar’s speech, only one government minister – Pat McFadden – had publicly backed the PM, but after the Scottish leader’s remarks the Starmer’s cabinet colleagues began posting expressions of support and declarations of loyalty. Within an hour of Sarwar’s statement ending, every Cabinet minister had backed the PM, as had former Deputy PM Angela Rayner.
Deputy PM David Lammy posted “we should let nothing distract us from our mission to change Britain and we support the Prime Minister in doing that.” Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, said “With Keir as our prime minister we are turning the country around.”
The choreographed show of support did little to mask the chaos gripping the Labour party, with would-be challenger Wes Streeting last night publishing his communication with Peter Mandelson in a bid to reassure colleagues concerned about the Health Secretary’s close relationship with the disgraced Labour veteran. In the exchanges, Streeting is hugely critical of Starmer’s government, complaining there is “no growth strategy at all.”
Nigel Farage puts Reform on ‘war footing’
While Starmer survived a day of intense political drama he still faces a string of challenges ahead including the Gorton and Denton by-election, the release of government material relating to Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador and the May local and regional elections.
Opposition leaders seized on the chaos, with Reform leader Nigel Farage announcing that his party was now “on a war footing” and that he will unveil his top team “within the next few days.”
At a rally for supporters last night, Farage said: “I do today put this party on a general election war footing. We will make sure that it is, that we are ready in every way to fight, and we’re fighting because we want and need a proud, independent country that stands up on its own two feet.”
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said that Starmer was “blowing around like a plastic bag in the wind” and should resign if he can’t do the job. She added: “it’s quite clear that Keir Starmer does not have a grip on his government.”