Starmer survives – but minister says Streeting ‘absolutely bottled it | UK | News
Embattled Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer clung desperately to power on Monday evening after the Cabinet voted to adjourn from political oblivion at the eleventh hour.
The Prime Minister was dealt a devastating blow when Scottish Labor leader Anas Sarwar dramatically demanded his resignation in the wake of the Mandelson scandal, allegedly for the benefit of the country.
Widely praised leadership candidate Wes Streeting, formerly Starmer’s ally but now whispered he was acting on behalf of the Health Secretary, Mr Sarwar, revealed Downing Street had made ‘too many mistakes’.
He stated: “I have to be honest about failure wherever I see it. The distraction needs to end, the leadership needs to change.”
Early warning triggers panic
Mr. Sarwar notified the Prime Minister of his intervention in advance, triggering panic in No. 10 and launching a major rescue operation.
A Labor Party source said ministers had been instructed to express their support for the Prime Minister by the end of the day or face dismissal.
The Prime Minister was still recovering from the shock of his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney’s outburst on Sunday; Add to that the departure of communications director Tim Allan on Monday morning.
Cabinet Secretary Sir Chris Wormald came close to joining the mass exodus in Downing Street on Monday evening, just a year after he was appointed by Starmer.
radical change
The Prime Minister is launching a radical overhaul of the senior team as he fights for survival.
Streeting accused Starmer’s allies of briefing against him following claims Sarwar’s attack was coordinated with the health secretary as a calculated attempt to remove the Prime Minister from power.
One minister described Sarwar as a “pioneer of Streetting”, while another noted: “Wes has absolutely bottled it.”
A government source labeled it “Wes’ James Purnell moment”; this was in reference to the failed Gordon Brown impeachment attempt in June 2009.
A Streeting spokesman revealed the health minister had recorded an interview in which he expressed support for Starmer while Sarwar was speaking.
The spokesman said: “While Wes was saying Keir needed a chance to put his case and plan, Number 10 was briefing Wes had told Anas Sarwar to explain. That’s the problem.”
Cabinet silence broken
Cabinet ministers have refused to openly back the embattled Prime Minister, just 24 hours after McSweeney’s dramatic departure over his responsibility for Lord Madelson’s controversial appointment to the US ambassador position, despite his known links to pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Private talks explored replacing Starmer with an interim leader such as Defense Secretary John Healey.
But with financial markets on edge over potential leadership chaos, leadership challengers were left unprepared to act and ministers were forced to capitulate to Number 10’s demands for public support.
A delayed surge of social media posts that began as Sarwar began speaking saw every Cabinet member lend broad support to the Prime Minister.
In a later defiant speech to Labor MPs, Starmer vowed to keep fighting and declared: “I’ve won every battle I’ve been in.”
Starmer has claimed he “won’t go away” after surviving an attempt to forcibly remove him as his allies face accusations of smearing leadership rival Wes Streeting.
“As long as there is breath in my body, I will be in this struggle on behalf of the country I love and believe in,” he said.
Nearly every minister issued supportive messages based on the day’s outcome, while other leading Labor figures, including leadership rival Angela Rayner, offered their support to Starmer.
One of them revealed: “We were all created to tweet.”
