𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Sir Keir Starmer has brazenly claimed he “ended the week much stronger” than he began it, despite days of chaos that left his authority hanging by a thread. His premiership was battered by the furore over the appointments of Lord Peter Mandelson and Lord Matthew Doyle, both dogged by controversy over links to sex offenders, three high-profile departures from Downing Street, and an extraordinary call from the Scottish Labour leader for him to step aside.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, the Prime Minister insisted his party and Government were “completely united” on defence and forging closer ties with the European Union. He was pressed during a panel discussion on whether the turmoil had left him exposed to attacks from Reform UK and the Conservatives.

The Labour leader shot back: “No, I reject that. I ended the week much stronger than I started it. And that’s a very good place to be. My party and my Government is completely united on Ukraine, on defence and security, and on the need for stronger relations with Europe — on defence, on security and on the economy as well. So I think there is real strength in the position I’ve now set out.

“Imagine if Reform were in government. The Coalition of the Willing could not exist with UK participation in it. We would be seen as a country that people couldn’t do business with. It is striking that the different ends of the spectrum share so much. Soft on Russia and weak on NATO—if not outright opposed. The future they offer is one of division and then capitulation.”

Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch is accusing the Prime Minister of throwing officials under the bus to save his own skin.

She said: “Keir Starmer has to take responsibility for his own terrible decisions. It is hard to escape the conclusion that the Cabinet Secretary is simply the latest person to be sacrificed. He has proved incapable of doing the things a prime minister needs to do.”

Critics also savaged his “Brexit climbdown” after he told the summit Britain was no longer in the “Brexit years” and must move toward “interdependence” with the EU, a move seen by many as a surrender of sovereignty.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar had declared on Monday that the Prime Minister should resign over the storm surrounding Lord Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to Washington, given his past links to Jeffrey Epstein. Mr Sarwar said: “The distraction needs to end and the leadership in Downing Street has to change.

“There have been too many mistakes. It is so obvious that we desperately need change in Scotland and the opportunity to get rid of a failing SNP government is too important to be missed.”

Yet the bid to topple Sir Keir fizzled out, with Cabinet ministers rallying behind him within hours of the intervention. Fresh doubts over his judgment erupted later in the week amid a row over Lord Doyle’s elevation to the Lords. The exit of the Cabinet Secretary, Sir Chris Wormald, fuelled accusations of toxic briefings, while senior Labour women warned the scandals had laid bare a “boys’ club” culture at the heart of Downing Street.