London, United Kingdom. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would not resign and pledged to continue with his mandate to change Britain, dismissing calls from Labour figures, including the party’s leader in Scotland, for him to quit.
Starmer rejects calls to step down
Starmer spoke during a visit to a community centre in southern England, a day after Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar called on him to resign and after Starmer lost a second aide in as many days.
“I will never walk away from the mandate I was given to change this country,” Starmer told an audience. “I will never walk away from the people that I’m charged with fighting for, and I will never walk away from the country that I love.”
Focus on Reform UK urged
Under pressure over his appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington due to Mandelson’s close ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Starmer urged party members to focus on Reform UK rather than internal divisions.
Starmer said the real fight was with “the politics of Reform, the politics of divide, divide, divide, grievance, grievance, grievance that will tear our country apart”.
Support from ministers and potential rivals
Starmer secured backing late on Monday from his top team of ministers and support from potential leadership rivals, including former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, as well as from many Labour lawmakers in parliament.
On Tuesday, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, another possible leadership contender, said he supported Starmer after a speech to the Resolution Foundation think-tank.
“Yes, he has my support, the government has my support,” Burnham said. “I think what we all need to do now is to drive the pace of change more quickly and that means greater unity across the whole family of the Labour movement.”
Mandelson scrutiny intensifies
Revelations about the extent of Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein have triggered the most serious threat to Starmer so far. Starmer has repeatedly said the former ambassador and Labour veteran lied about his ties to Epstein.
What do you think Labour should prioritise as it responds to internal calls for Starmer to step down?
