The Scottish Labour leader is facing a challenge to direct his Westminster MPs to support a parliamentary inquiry into alleged sleaze involving the Prime Minister. On Tuesday, the House of Commons will vote on whether to refer Sir Keir Starmer to the Privileges Committee over claims he misled MPs regarding the handling of Peter Mandelson's appointment as US ambassador.
SNP Call for Action
Ahead of the vote, SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn confirmed that he and his SNP colleagues would vote in favour of the inquiry. He urged Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, who has previously called for Sir Keir to resign as Prime Minister, to do the same. In a letter to Mr Sarwar, Mr Flynn described Tuesday's Commons vote as 'an opportunity to end Keir Starmer's short and sorry time as Prime Minister'.
The SNP MP told the Scottish Labour chief that this was 'therefore also the ultimate test of your claim that you want him to resign'. He continued: 'The test is obvious – if you truly believe Keir Starmer should resign then you must now instruct every single Scottish Labour MP to vote for an investigation which will likely result in Keir Starmer's resignation.'
Tory Support for Inquiry
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has also called on Labour MPs to back the referral to the Privileges Committee, insisting the 'Prime Minister misled the House of Commons repeatedly'. Speaking about Sir Keir, Mrs Badenoch added: 'He appointed a national security risk and friend of a convicted paedophile to be our ambassador in Washington, our most sensitive diplomatic post.'
Mr Flynn emphasised that the 'crucial vote' would 'determine whether Keir Starmer will be investigated by the Committee of Privileges for misleading parliament and the public over the scandal'. He continued: 'The consequence of this vote couldn't be clearer or more serious. If the Privileges Committee were to establish that the House of Commons was indeed misled, the seriousness of that offence would inevitably result in the Prime Minister's immediate resignation.'
He pointed to a 'clear contradiction' between the Prime Minister and former Foreign Office chief Sir Olly Robbins, who had been 'clear that "pressure" was applied and applied repeatedly' over Lord Mandelson's appointment.
Challenge to Sarwar
Challenging Mr Sarwar to act, the SNP Westminster leader told him: 'If you don't even have the strength to order your MPs to vote on the future of Keir Starmer, people won't trust another word from you or Scottish Labour. It is a disgrace that at a time when the UK is facing a cost-of-living emergency, the Labour government is completely consumed by the Peter Mandelson scandal and is failing to lift a finger to help families.'
'The only way to lance the boil and end this distraction is for Keir Starmer to quit – or be forced out. The Prime Minister should have resigned months ago – and SNP MPs will be voting for the inquiry into Keir Starmer. The only question is whether you are too weak to order Scottish Labour MPs to do the same.'
Labour Response
Scottish Labour MP Gregor Poynton responded: 'On May 7 Scotland is voting to decide the future of our NHS, our schools and our local communities – but the SNP is obsessing over what is going on elsewhere. Stephen Flynn has found his voice now but he was silent when the SNP covered up allegations against Jordan Linden, tried to make benefit fraudster Sally Donald an MSP, and had two of its last three ex-leaders arrested by Police Scotland.'
