Laura Kuenssberg,Presenter, Sunday with Laura Kuenssbergand
Thomas Mackintosh
Sir Keir Starmer has dismissed concerns about his leadership and said he will still be prime minister this time next year.
In an exclusive interview with the ‘s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, the prime minister said he believes forthcoming elections in Scotland, Wales and England in May are not a “referendum” on his government.
His comments come after a difficult 2025 for Sir Keir, who has been battling slowing economic growth, poor poll ratings and speculation he could face a leadership challenge.
In his recent New Year’s Day message, the PM promised to “defeat the decline and division offered by others” and insisted 2026 would see people feel “positive change” in their lives.
Speaking to the , Sir Keir said: “I was elected in 2024 with a five-year mandate to change the country, and that’s what I intend to do, to be faithful to that mandate.
“And I will be judged, and I know I’ll be judged, when we get to the next election, on whether I’ve delivered on the key things that matter most to people.”
Parliament returns from the Christmas recess on Monday and the prime minister is set to hold his first Cabinet meeting of 2026 the following day.
He is expected to tell ministers: “I know families across the country are still worried about the cost of living.
“There will be no let-up in our fight to make life better for them.”
In his interview with the , the prime minister vowed to stand firm in his leadership.
“Under the last government, we saw constant chopping and changing of leadership, of teams, it caused utter chaos, utter chaos, and it’s amongst the reasons that the Tories were booted out so effectively at the last election,” Sir Keir said.
“Nobody wants to go back to that. It’s not in our national interest.
“We know from that evidence what happens if you go down that chaotic path, and I’m not going to take us back to that kind of chaos.
“I will be sitting in this seat by 2027 and if this long-form interview works, we can try it again in January of next year as well.”
Sir Keir’s comments come just over five months before elections to the Welsh Parliament, the Senedd, the Scottish Parliament and to many local authorities in England on 7 May.
Each will have potentially huge consequences as Labour is currently in power in the Senedd and runs many of the urban councils in England where local elections are being held.
