Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is set to face a Commons vote on Tuesday on whether he should be referred to the Privileges Committee for a sleaze inquiry, following the Peter Mandelson scandal. The vote, granted by Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle, is unlikely to pass due to Labour's large majority, but it marks a moment of peril for Starmer amid swirling speculation about his future.
Starmer dismissed the vote as a "stunt" and signalled that Labour MPs could be ordered to oppose it. Speaking to Sky News, he said: "It is a stunt. We've got huge amounts of transparency going on already. And, frankly, as Prime Minister and as a government, it is really important I focus on what matters to millions of people across the country."
The Prime Minister also revealed that his wife, Victoria, is urging him to continue. Asked if he would listen if she said enough was enough, he said: "I always listen to Vic... She's an absolute rock... She is [advising me to keep going], yes."
Downing Street published a letter from former civil service boss Sir Chris Wormald, which stated that "appropriate processes were followed" in the appointment and withdrawal of Lord Mandelson as ambassador to Washington. A No10 spokesman called the Tory move a "desperate political stunt" ahead of local elections, adding: "Their claims have no substance."
Starmer rallied Labour MPs at a Parliamentary Labour Party meeting, telling them: "This is a political stunt by our opponents who want to bring us down... Tomorrow is pure politics and we need to stand together against it." Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown also issued a statement backing Starmer, emphasising the need to put the country first.
