Starmer's Premiership Hangs by a Thread as Scottish Labour Leader Declares Civil War
Keir Starmer is clinging to power by his fingernails today after Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar delivered a shattering blow to the Prime Minister's hopes of survival, declaring open civil war within the party. Sarwar insisted Starmer must go following the escalating scandal surrounding the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador, dealing what loyalist MPs acknowledge is likely a terminal intervention.
Cabinet Silence and Resignations Deepen Crisis
The Cabinet has maintained an extraordinary wall of silence for more than 24 hours, with only Deputy PM David Lammy finally taking to social media to voice "support" for Starmer just before Sarwar's devastating press conference. Senior party sources reveal colleagues are "waiting to make their move" amid intense chatter about a resignation that could finish the Prime Minister off completely.
Starmer told his remaining Downing Street staff this morning that he was determined to "go forward" after communications chief Tim Allan announced he was "standing down to allow a new No10 team to be built." The former Tony Blair adviser had only been in the post since September, having pledged to help Starmer "turn the corner" with a reset, but senior Labour sources accused him of being "completely useless" and "embarrassing."
This announcement followed yesterday's departure of chief of staff Morgan McSweeney over the controversial Mandelson appointment. Starmer has now lost four communications directors in just 18 months, leaving him holed up in Downing Street with no public engagements planned today, though he will address mutinous MPs at a crucial Parliamentary Labour Party meeting this evening.
Financial Markets React to Political Turmoil
As UK politics plunges into turmoil, the interest rate on 10-year gilts has risen sharply as investors fear chaos. Cabinet Secretary Chris Wormald and national security adviser Jonathan Powell remain under intense pressure over the Mandelson appointment, while police have yet to sign off on releasing documents about Mandelson's vetting process, frustrating Downing Street officials.
Starmer is scrambling for a new chief of staff after McSweeney's exit, with claims his biographer Tom Baldwin has been angling for the job. McSweeney's deputies, Vidhya Alakeson and Jill Cuthbertson, have been appointed joint acting chiefs of staff, with some insiders expecting the "smart and capable" pair to be made permanent.
Ministers' Mixed Responses and Bizarre No10 Scene
There was a notable absence of Cabinet figures rallying round the Prime Minister this morning, despite both Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and Darren Jones being pictured in Westminster. Baroness Jacqui Smith, a relatively junior minister, was put up for broadcast interviews, while one Cabinet aide said their minister would not be posting supportive messages because they "had work to do."
Bizarrely, a British Airways flight simulator had been installed outside No10 this morning, sparking jokes about whether Starmer was planning a getaway. Skills minister Baroness Jacqui Smith insisted Starmer is not on the verge of quitting, though she conceded she had not even spoken to the Prime Minister personally.
McSweeney Takes Responsibility as Pressure Mounts
Yesterday, McSweeney said he took "full responsibility" for the decision to send the disgraced peer to Washington, despite knowing Mandelson had stood by Jeffrey Epstein after the depraved financier was jailed for child-sex offences. Downing Street said Starmer and McSweeney had jointly decided it was the "right moment" for him to go.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden was a lone voice speaking up for the premier today when grilled during a visit: "I think the Prime Minister acted in good faith throughout this. Of course he'll take responsibility for the decision to appoint Peter Mandelson in the first place, he's already done that," he said. "But I think the Prime Minister is just 18 months into a five-year mandate and I support him in continuing the work he's doing for the country."
Left-Wing MPs and Union Chiefs Demand Resignation
Left-wingers are calling for the Prime Minister to resign, with former campaigns chief Jon Trickett warning: "The buck stops at the top." Brian Leishman, the Labour MP for Alloa and Grangemouth, added: "There must be a change in political direction and that comes from the very top. So the Prime Minister must look at his own position and question whether he should follow McSweeney's lead one last time, and resign for the good of the country and the Labour Party."
Liverpool MP Kim Johnson said the PM's position was "untenable," while York MP Rachael Maskell described McSweeney's departure as "a start." Union chiefs also heaped pressure on the Labour leader, with Fire Brigades Union general secretary Steve Wright saying he should resign, and Transport Salaried Staffs' Association general secretary Maryam Eslamdoust declaring: "There's no case for waiting until May, given the scale of defeat we are facing at these critical elections. It's time to elect a new leader."
Tory Opposition and Leadership Speculation
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said Starmer is allowing McSweeney to "carry the can" for a decision he chose to make. "Advisers advise, leaders decide. He made a bad decision, he should take responsibility for that," she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. "Peter Mandelson had been sacked twice for unethical behaviour. He is allowing someone else to carry the can for a decision that he chose to make."
Starmer has the advantage that rivals including Angela Rayner, Wes Streeting and Andy Burnham do not appear to be in position to challenge for the leadership. Rayner has previously insisted an election must be called when governing parties switch leaders mid-term. No10 has been circulating messages to normally-loyal MPs pleading for them to speak up in support of the leader at tonight's PLP session, but many are openly speculating about how long Starmer can continue without the man who masterminded his rise to power.
Frantic work continues on documents about Mandelson's vetting and ties to senior Labour figures, with Starmer forced to commit to releasing material following a revolt by MPs last week. He insists details can show he was misled by Mandelson during the process, but Scotland Yard has raised concerns about publishing information while a criminal inquiry is ongoing.
