Share and Follow
Keir Starmer is having a challenging week, and it’s only midway through.
On Monday, the security of the UK prime minister’s position seemed to be hanging by a thread, with speculation swirling in Westminster about a possible leadership challenge.
Starmer finds himself in hot water over his controversial decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as his envoy to the United States, a move for which he has already issued an apology.
Mandelson’s long-known friendship with Jeffrey Epstein is garnering fresh scrutiny, with recently released Epstein files shedding new light on the depth of their relationship.
Law enforcement is currently probing whether Mandelson, who once served as the UK’s business secretary, may have divulged sensitive market information to Epstein, the disgraced American financier.
Mandelson was dismissed from his Washington posting months ago and has said he was “sorry” for his association with Epstein, but denies any criminal wrongdoing.
The decision to appoint Mandelson has led many inside and outside UK Labour to wonder what it says about Starmer’s judgement.
‘A huge distraction’
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar was the first big party name to call for Starmer to step down, declaring “the leadership in Downing Street has become a huge distraction”.
There’s subtext to this. His party is expected to do poorly in the upcoming Scottish parliamentary election, thanks largely to dissatisfaction with the government down in Westminster. This was his attempt to differentiate Scottish Labour from its southern friends.
Had Sarwar’s call been followed by similar demands from the leader of Labour in Wales, along with ministers and influential MPs, perhaps Starmer would’ve been forced out.
But in the minutes after the hastily arranged Glasgow press conference, Starmer’s entire cabinet posted statements supporting the prime minister.
Even his critics and rivals — former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner chief among them — said it’s not the time to change leader.
The mess left Sarwar looking disloyal and the party fractured. In politics, if you’re going to stick your head above the parapet, it’s wise to make sure you know others will follow.
The pressure’s not off entirely
While Starmer sounded confident at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, thanking colleagues for their support, he’s not safe yet.
Later this month, a by-election will be held in the Manchester suburbs. It’s a seat Labour should retain, with a 13,000-vote majority. But Nigel Farage’s populist, right-wing Reform UK is polling strongly, and a resurgent Green Party could split the left vote.
Then in May, there are elections for the devolved parliaments in Scotland and Wales, as well as many English councils.
Should Labour lose control of the Welsh Senedd, it would be a disaster for the party and make it very hard for Starmer to remain in power.
‘You’re joking — not another one!’
One of the great catchphrases in British politics was coined by Brenda from Bristol. It was her exasperated response to a BBC reporter when she was asked about the prospect of another general election in 2017.
Many Brits today would think the same about a new prime minister. Should Starmer go, the UK will have had five leaders in four years.
Labour was elected in a landslide back in 2024, on a promise to “stop the chaos” after 14 years of Conservative rule that included Brexit, Boris Johnson, COVID-19 and the seven-week circus of the Liz Truss government.
The advantage Starmer has over both Johnson and Truss is that there is no credible alternative candidate to challenge him.
Rayner’s still dealing with a tax issue, highly-rated health secretary Wes Streeting is defending his own friendship with Mandelson, and other options being discussed internally have almost zero name recognition among the wider public.
For the latest from SBS News, download our app and subscribe to our newsletter.