Labour on the brink as minister grilled on Keir Starmer’s resignation | Politics | News
One of Labourโs top ministers was grilled over Sir Keir Starmerโs future in Number 10 after a humiliating week for the Prime Minister. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood insisted Sir Keir should not consider stepping aside despite turmoil at the top of the Government.
It comes after a series of briefings of journalists regarding Sir Keirโs commitment to staying on as leader, which spectacularly backfired earlier this week. Ms Mahmood said the briefing war which erupted on Tuesday night was โembarrassing for everyone concernedโ. It saw allies of the PM insist he was willing to fend off any challenges to his leadership, with Health Secretary Wes Streeting singled out as a possible contender.
Ms Mahmood replied โnoโ when she was asked whether Sir Keir needed to reconsider his leadership following the debacle.
Speaking to Sky Newsโ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, she continued: โKeir Starmer is our Prime Minister. We won an election just under a year and a half or so ago, when people thought that we would not win an election for maybe a generation or more.
โI have no time for these things that people say or brief off the record, or any of this, frankly, Westminster bubble tittle-tattle.โ
Ms Mahmood added: โIf people have things to say, they should have the courage of their convictions and say so publicly, and that is not what is happening.
โI think what happened at the beginning of this week was, with all of those anonymous briefings, unedifying and deeply embarrassing for everyone concerned.โ
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said Labour are โfighting like rats in a sackโ.
Mr Streeting has denied plotting a leadership coup against Sir Keir.
The PM apologised to Mr Street after the briefings and said he has been โassuredโ they didnโt come from Downing Street, contrary to reports.
It comes as the Government is grappling with its own Labour MPs, who are worried about the approach of ministers to a host of issues, and the partyโs current polling.
Labour is languishing behind both the Tories and Reform UK.
