Starmer latest: PM ‘too weak’ to sack leadership rival Wes Streeting, allies claim

Britain has fallen to a new low on the global corruption index as political turmoil over party donations and Sir Keir Starmer’s government struggles to recover from the Epstein-Mandelson scandal.

On a scale of 0 to 100, the UK has now fallen to 70, marking the lowest point since the Corruption Perceptions Index underwent a major revamp in 2012. The UK is ranked 20th on the list for the third year in a row, despite previously being in the top ten.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the challenges his brother faced as he explained why he was so determined to fight for No 10.

Sir Keir’s younger brother Nick died in 2024, aged 60.

The Prime Minister said: “Growing up he had difficulties learning, spending his adult life moving from job to job in near poverty.

“This system, this political system, did not work for him and billions of people are in the same boat, there are children in poverty, young people who do not have access to the opportunities they deserve.

“Millions of people are being left behind by a system that is ill-suited to them, not being given the dignity, respect and opportunities they deserve.

“And I am fighting for them. I am their prime minister, this is their government, and I will never give up this fight.”

After weathering the worst political turmoil of his career this week, Sir Keir Starmer was plunged into new chaos on Tuesday. Lord Matthew Doyle has lifted the Labor whip following controversy over his link to a pedophile councillor.

But despite saying he would “never” step away from his duty to his country, Starmer faces new problems amid rumors that cabinet secretary Chris Wormald will be the one to resign.

Meanwhile, ministers have been warned not to share messages with Lord Peter Mandelson after Wes Streeting tried to avoid any controversy by publishing the messages himself.

Scotland Yard said it was vital “legal process is followed” to avoid jeopardizing the ongoing investigation.

Sir Keir Starmer’s fight against a Labor-led coup attempt has been overshadowed by a new scandal involving one of his closest former aides.

Labor announced on Tuesday evening that it had sacked Sir Keir’s former communications chief, Matthew Doyle, whom the prime minister elevated to the House of Lords in December, over his links to former councilor Sean Morton, a convicted pedophile.

The latest development will raise new questions about Sir Keir’s integrity and judgment and bring with it echoes of the Peter Mandelson scandal; The scandal had already cost him his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, and brought his premiership to the brink of collapse.

The Independent’s political editor David Maddox and Whitehall editor Kate Devlin report:

Sir Keir Starmer’s Cabinet Secretary Sir Chris Wormald missed a meeting at the last minute on Tuesday amid rumors he would leave the government.

Mr Wormald was supposed to attend a meeting of Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) but the ISC said he was unavailable at the last minute, according to a press release.

Officials stood in for Sir Chris when the committee held an extraordinary meeting to discuss the task of combing through files on Lord Mandelson to decide what could be made public.

Minister of State for Development, Baroness Jennifer Chapman of Darlington, told colleagues that appointing Lord Peter Mandelson to the position of US ambassador was a “bad decision” but that she was “proud” of Sir Keir Starmer’s handling of the situation.

“This is a bad decision,” he said Tuesday. “Now when you make a bad decision in life, especially when you become Prime Minister, you have a choice.

“Some prime ministers stood at the letterbox elsewhere (in the House of Commons) and told blatant lies about this.

“Ours didn’t happen, and I’m proud of him for that.”

The latest chapter in the ongoing crisis for the prime minister, who has struggled to draw a line under the chaos within his party after the most turbulent day of his term as prime minister to date, threatens to push Starmer back to the brink.

David Maddox, political editor of The Independent, reports:

Sir Keir Starmer has nominated Lord Matthew Doyle for the peerage despite having previously campaigned for a councilor accused of child sexual offences.

Lord Doyle was nominated for the peerage by the prime minister in December.

Downing Street later admitted that Mr Doyle’s links to Sean Morton were “fully investigated” before he was nominated, and that several interviews were conducted with Mr Doyle himself.

Lord Matthew Doyle admitted he had contact with pedophile councilor Sean Morton following his conviction but those contacts were “extremely limited”.

“Any contact following his conviction was extremely limited and I haven’t seen or spoken to him for years,” he said.

“On two occasions I attended events organized by others which he attended and once saw him checking on his welfare after concerns had been raised through others.”

He said the reason for the latter was: “I acted to seek to ensure the welfare of a troubled individual by fully condemning the crimes for which he was convicted and by making clear that my thoughts are with the victims of those crimes. I am sorry for the mistakes I have made. I will not take the Labor whip.”

Authorities are searching through 25 years of records to find evidence linking Lord Peter Mandelson to disgraced pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. Times.

Civil servants are examining correspondence, including from Lord Mandelson’s time as Northern Ireland secretary under Tony Blair between 1999 and 2002, and as trade secretary between 2008 and 2010 under Gordon Brown.

A Metropolitan Police investigation into Lord Mandelson and allegations of misconduct in public office was launched last week and peers’ homes were searched.