Sir Keir Starmer has said he will lead Labour into the next general election, as he attempts to move on from his biggest leadership crisis yet.
The prime minister told broadcasters: “I had a five-year mandate to deliver the change. I intend to get on with what I was elected to do.”
Asked whether he would lead his party into the next election, which is scheduled for 2029, the PM said: “Yes I will.”
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There have been growing doubts since last week about whether Sir Keir would stay in post – and for how long.
The prime minister faced the biggest challenge to his leadership yet on Monday as Labour’s leader in Scotland, Anas Sarwar, called for him to resign following the scandal over his appointment of Peter Mandelson as his US ambassador.
Starmer had a tricky start to the week. Pic: Reuters
In Sir Keir’s first remarks since Mr Sarwar called for him to resign, the prime minister joked at an event in Hertfordshire on Tuesday: “It’s been a busy week.”
He then largely repeated the message he gave his own MPs on Monday evening, saying he “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,” Sir Keir added.
Addressing Labour infighting, he said his party needs to focus on improving living standards and public services, as well as battling what he described as Reform UK’s politics of “grievance”.
But despite his strong words, Sky’s political editor Beth Rigby said the prime minister remains in a “weak position”.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch told Sky News that Labour MPs had given Sir Keir a “stay of execution because they are terrified of losing their own jobs”.
Labour MPs ‘stepped back from the precipice’
The PM’s comments came after he chaired a cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning, having received its unanimous backing to remain in his post.
Energy secretary Ed Miliband told Sky News that Labour MPs had “looked over the precipice yesterday and thought, we need to step back. We need to back our leader. We need to back the man who was elected only 18 months ago as prime minister.”
He said that Monday had been a “very difficult day” for the government, admitting that it had made “mistakes” and needed to change course.
Challenged that Downing Street was briefing that Health Secretary Wes Streeting – often seen as a potential leadership challenger – told Mr Sarwar to make his statement, Ed Miliband said: “MoveOn.org. I mean, let’s just move past all this, honestly.”
Meanwhile, Manchester mayor Andy Burnham also gave his backing to Sir Keir, as did Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan.
Mr Burnham – who Sir Keir blocked from standing in the Gorton and Denton by-election – called for “stability” and “greater unity”.
