The British government attempted to project an image of calm on the morning after a political earthquake. Ministers arriving at 10 Downing Street offered smiles, a deliberate contrast to the turmoil within. It appeared, as one observer noted, as if Keir Starmer’s government had just taken office.
Yet, as Energy Minister Ed Miliband put it on breakfast television, the situation had recently been “looking into the abyss.” He conceded it had been “a dangerous moment” for Starmer, but argued that the party ultimately recognized the consequences of “a chaotic selection of a new leader” and decided against a challenge.
A Departure from the Script
Until recently, Starmer’s predicament seemed to be following a familiar script for the downfall of British Prime Ministers: a growing undercurrent of dissatisfaction, the threat of damaging electoral defeats – particularly in by-elections – and the emergence of a challenger questioning the leader’s authority.
This time, the role of the rebel was taken by Anas Sarwar, the leader of the Scottish Labour Party, who hastily convened a press conference in Glasgow on Monday to announce that his “personal friend” should step down as Prime Minister, arguing that “the distractions need to end.”
Labour in Scotland Plunges in the Polls
Sarwar’s move was prompted by the ongoing revelations surrounding Peter Mandelson’s relationship with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and Starmer’s decision to appoint Mandelson as the British Ambassador to Washington despite knowing of those ties. The story dominated headlines, diverting attention from Sarwar’s campaign in Scotland, where Labour had previously hoped to challenge the Scottish National Party. Recent polls now place Labour in third place in Scotland, behind both the SNP and the right-wing populist Reform UK.
Rather than a traditional backstabbing, Starmer’s team managed to receive advance warning of Sarwar’s intentions, a move described within Westminster as a “front stab” rather than the more common “back stab.”
Immediately following Sarwar’s call for his resignation, key members of Starmer’s cabinet issued statements of support: Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, Health Secretary Wes Streeting, and former Housing Secretary Angela Rayner. They all pledged their continued loyalty and commitment to fighting the upcoming elections alongside Starmer. By-elections are scheduled in Greater Manchester later this month, and regional and local elections will be held across the United Kingdom in early May.
Emotional Responses
Following this show of support, Starmer addressed his party’s parliamentary group on Monday evening. Participants reported that the committee room in the House of Parliament had been unusually crowded. Some MPs reportedly left the room visibly flushed, and others appeared emotionally moved.
One attendee described Starmer’s speech as “the speech of his life.” Another, who had previously been a public critic of the Prime Minister, said that Starmer had apologized for mistakes but “was not a man on his knees.” He was, according to this source, “incredibly strong, determined, and insightful.”
Forty-four members of the parliamentary group spoke during the debate, which lasted just over an hour. Frequent and enthusiastic applause echoed from the room, leaving those who departed with the impression that a new leader had emerged – even though it was the same one.
A History of Crises and U-Turns
However, this sense of renewed strength may be fleeting. Starmer remains embroiled in the crisis stemming from his decision to appoint Mandelson as ambassador. This crisis is just the latest in a series of setbacks that have seen Starmer’s approval ratings plummet to historic lows.
The series of negative headlines began shortly after Starmer’s election victory in the summer of , with the revelation that a wealthy Labour Party donor had provided the newly elected leader with suits and a new pair of glasses. This was followed by a series of controversial policy decisions.
The new government initially scrapped a winter heating allowance for pensioners, only to reinstate it following widespread protests. It proposed a welfare savings reform, but was forced to abandon it due to a lack of support within its own ranks. Plans to exempt farmers from inheritance tax were also reversed. Similar reversals occurred regarding employment protections and plans to introduce national identity cards.
“Freed” from McSweeney?
Within Starmer’s parliamentary majority, many felt that the pragmatic style of their party and government leader was at odds with the views of both traditional trade unionists and left-leaning London Labour members. Some believe the root of the problem lay not with Starmer himself, but with his chief strategist, Morgan McSweeney, who resigned in the wake of the Epstein-Mandelson affair. McSweeney, like his mentor Mandelson, belonged to the “New Labour” faction that once steered the party towards a more economically liberal and socially progressive course. After Labour shifted further to the left during the leadership of Starmer’s predecessor, McSweeney implemented a strict and authoritarian approach to personnel and candidate selection, bringing the party back towards the center. Some now speculate about how Starmer will govern without McSweeney, with one Labour peer suggesting that the Prime Minister is now “freed.”
However, even this hope has its limits. The struggle for Starmer’s succession continues, as demonstrated by the actions of his most ambitious rival, Wes Streeting. In the wake of the Mandelson crisis, Starmer promised to release all documents related to Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador and any correspondence with him during his time in Washington. This was intended to demonstrate that while Starmer and McSweeney were aware of Mandelson’s continued contact with Epstein after his conviction, Mandelson had not disclosed receiving money from Epstein or sharing government secrets with him.
The release of these documents has been delayed while police review them for potential evidence of misconduct by Mandelson. However, Streeting has already made his own correspondence public on Monday.
