𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

A BBC Question Time audience member asked a brutal question about Sir Keir Starmer moments into tonight’s show. The man questioned whether he is “now a lame duck prime minister” after a chaotic week which saw Sir Keir fighting to save his premiership amid the Lord Mandelson scandal.

Cabinet minister Luke Pollard was rendered speechless in the awkward seconds that followed before presenter Fiona Bruce said: “That’s coming your way, Luke.”

The Defence Secretary replied: “No, I don’t think he is. I think what I wanted to see from a leader, especially after so many years of chaos, is someone that can try things, make mistakes but admit they’ve made mistakes, apologise for it, learn those lessons and do better.

“I don’t think any of us want to return to the political chaos we saw over the last decade.”

Former Tory MP Nadine Dorries cut in: “What have we seen over the last week?”

Mr Pollard went on: “I want to see the Prime Minister focus on the issues that matter.

“That means restoring trust, it also means learning where mistakes have been made and he’s been very honest this week which is what I want to see from a political leader.

“I want to see someone that if they make a mistake admits it, learns the lessons and then does better and that’s precisely what I’ve heard him say this week.

“What I know the public wants us to do, focus on getting stuff done, changing Britain for the better, delivering the manifesto.

“We’re making progress with that, I want us to make progress faster and the more time we spend on Westminster ups and downs, I don’t think that’s where the public wants us to be. Focus on the issues that matter.

“But we’ve got to learn from this week because I don’t want to see this week repeated again frankly.”

Tory Ben Spencer branded him as a “zombie” Prime Minister, adding: “He seems to be wandering around aimlessly at the moment sort of neither dead or alive.”