I will never walk away, says PM after facing pressure to quit

13 minutes agoKate WhannelPolitical reporter

Reuters

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said he will “never walk away from the country that I love” after surviving a day of political jeopardy which saw the Scottish Labour leader call for his resignation.

Speaking at a community centre in Hertfordshire, Sir Keir said he was fighting for the “millions of people held back because of a system that doesn’t work for them”, adding: “I will never give up on that fight.”

He also sought to brush off speculation about his leadership saying he would lead his party into the next general election.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said it was “clear” the Labour Party had “lost confidence in Keir Starmer” and that it was “a matter of when, not if” he stepped down.

Speaking to broadcasters during his visit, Sir Keir said the “turmoil in politics” from the last few days would not distract him from “the most important issue to focus on” – the cost of living – which he said is “what I’m fighting for, who I’m fighting for”.

“I’ve got the most working class cabinet in the history of this country,” he said.

“But it’s utter nonsense to suggest it means everyone gets a fair chance at life… I feel very strongly about this.”

Citing his own personal experiences of growing up in a family unable to pay bills, and his brother’s struggles “living in virtual poverty”, he said “this political system didn’t work for him and millions of people in the same boat”.

Asked if he would be leading his party into the next election, he said: “I had a five year mandate to deliver the change. I intend to get on with what elected to do to which is deliver that change.”

The prime minister has faced questions about his leadership for months, following numerous U-turns and a drop in his government’s popularity.

Those questions intensified following the release of emails from Jeffrey Epstein, which revealed the extent of the relationship between the convicted sex offender and Lord Mandelson, the prime minister’s pick to be his ambassador in the US.

Labour MPs questioned why Lord Mandelson had been appointed and around half a dozen have called on the prime minister to quit.

On Monday, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar became the most senior figure in the party to call for Sir Keir to go, saying there had been “too many mistakes” in Downing Street.

Had senior ministers publicly backed his call, Sir Keir could have been forced to step down.

However, shortly after Sarwar began his press conference, the cabinet started posting messages of support for the prime minister on social media.

A few hours later, the prime minister received an enthusiastic response when he addressed a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party.

He has also received public backing from three potential leadership challengers – former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.

Although the prime minister survived a difficult day on Monday, his position remains fragile and the situation could change quickly.

The Gorton and Denton by-election on 26 February and elections in Scotland, Wales and for councils in England in May could trigger fresh leadership challenges, if Labour perform badly.

There could also be further embarrassing revelations, when the government fulfils its promise to publish documents and communications related to the appointment of Lord Mandelson.

Asked about Streeting’s decision to unilaterally publish his own WhatsApp exchanges with Lord Mandelson, Sir Keir said the government needed to be “all acting together in this” and for it be done in a “managed process”.

“We owe it to Parliament to be totally transparent about it, we need to liaise with Parliament and with the police to make sure we get the process right.”

Streeting has said he was releasing his own messages to dispel suggestions he had “something to hide” over his relationship with Lord Mandelson.

Asked on Tuesday if he backed the prime minister, the health secretary said Sir Keir had his “full support” and was leading the country with “integrity”.

Burnham, who along with Streeting has been touted as a possible leadership contender, would not be able to challenge Sir Keir without becoming an MP and his application to stand in the Gorton and Denton by-election was seen as the first step in making a leadership bid.

At the time, Burnham insisted he wanted to return to Parliament “to support the work of the government, not undermine it” but Labour’s National Executive Committee denied him permission to stand saying it would mean “an unnecessary mayoral election”.

Asked on Tuesday if Sir Keir had his full support, Burnham replied: “Yes, he has my support.

“The government has my support and they had my support when I put myself forward for the by-election.”

He called for “stability” in the Labour Party adding: “Of course stability comes from greater unity and that would be helped by a more inclusive way of running the party but recent events makes that now feel possible.”

Elsewhere, the prime minister received backing from the Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan.

Having stayed quiet on Monday, she put out a statement saying “the country needs stability in an age of instability”.

However, she added that the row over the appointment of Lord Mandelson had been “deeply troubling” and that the “failure must be acknowledged and confronted honestly”.

Reflecting on the events of Monday, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband told BBC Breakfast, the Labour Party had “looked over the precipice” on Monday but “thought the right thing to do was to support our leader”.

Miliband – a former Labour leader – said Sir Keir had faced “a moment of peril” but that cabinet ministers had collectively “looked at the alternatives of going down this road of a chaotic leadership election, trying to depose a prime minister, and they said that’s not for us”.