Starmer makes mindblowing declare on PM prospects in Brexit climbdown | Politics | News | EUROtoday

Sir Keir Starmer has openly claimed he “ended the week much stronger” than he started it, regardless of 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, each dogged by controversy over hyperlinks to intercourse offenders, three high-profile departures from Downing Street, and a rare name from the Scottish Labour chief for him to step apart.

Speaking on the Munich Security Conference, the Prime Minister insisted his social gathering and Government had been “completely united” on defence and forging nearer ties with the European Union. He was pressed throughout a panel dialogue on whether or not the turmoil had left him uncovered to assaults from Reform UK and the Conservatives.

The Labour chief shot again: “No, I reject that. I ended the week a lot stronger than I began it. And that’s an excellent place to be. My social gathering and my Government is totally united on Ukraine, on defence and safety, and on the necessity for stronger relations with Europe — on defence, on safety and on the financial system as nicely. So I believe there may be actual energy within the place 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 errors. It is so apparent that we desperately want change in Scotland and the chance to eliminate a failing SNP authorities is just too necessary to be missed.”

Yet the bid to topple Sir Keir fizzled out, with Cabinet ministers rallying behind him inside hours of the intervention. Fresh doubts over his judgment erupted later within 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 poisonous briefings, whereas senior Labour girls warned the scandals had laid naked a “boys’ club” tradition on the coronary heart of Downing Street.