Starmer: Majority of Labour MPs Support His Leadership

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stated in an interview that the vast majority of Labour MPs support him and want him to continue in his role. He made the remarks to the Sunday Times following a week of increased speculation about a potential leadership challenge within the Labour Party.

Starmer said that in politics, such talk occurs frequently, and emphasized that supportive MPs focus on their work rather than speaking to journalists.

home secretary Chris Philp stated that the prime minister should resign over the decision to appoint Lord Mandelson as the UK's ambassador to the US. Philp added that if the prime minister does not step down, Labour MPs should remove him, describing it as in the national interest.

He noted that some ministers were equivocating on the prime minister's future and that a couple of MPs had publicly called for his departure.

The prime minister has faced calls to resign from opposition parties and criticism from within his own party after UK security officials flagged concerns about vetting clearance for Lord Mandelson. Starmer told MPs that security officials recommended against granting approval, but this information was not passed to him.

He stated he did not regret sacking Sir Olly Robbins, the most senior civil servant in the Foreign Office, for not informing him about the concerns.

“When there's a double red flag not to give clearance and [showing] high concern, then I'm sorry. I'm sorry. But I do not accept the argument that that is something which should not be told to the prime minister," Sir Keir Starmer said.”

Robbins told MPs he was not informed of a recommendation to deny clearance, only that officials were leaning against it, and he approved it with mitigations. Starmer dismissed suggestions he should have inquired further, stating that questioning every piece of information would prevent him from making decisions.

Philp said the parliamentary Privileges Committee should investigate whether the prime minister misled Parliament over the appointment. Chief secretary to the prime minister Darren Jones stated the government has nothing to hide and found the time spent on the issue frustrating.

He added that upcoming elections in May would be difficult for Labour, and recent issues have made them slightly harder, though no one raised the topic during campaigning.