Starmer latest: Scottish Labour leader to demand PM resign over Mandelson-Epstein scandal – UK Times

Baroness Eluned Morgan is expected to follow Anas Sarwar and call for Keir Starmer’s resignation on Monday.

A Scottish Labour source told The Independent that the Welsh Labour leader will make an announcement after Mr Sarwar, who is expected to call for the prime minister’s resignation at 2.30pm.

Scottish MPs will be meeting tomorrow “in case Keir doesn’t get the message today”, the source said.

Analysis by Political Editor David Maddox:

The Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar may have just delivered the fatal blow for Keir Starmer’s premiership.

His support had been crucial for the prime minister as he fought through attacks from within Labour, bad polls, policy missteps, briefings against him and U-turns.

But with so much at stake on 7 May in the Holyrood elections in Scotland and Labour trailing in third behind the SNP and Reform, Mr Sarwar has clearly had enough.

He is now the most senior person to demand Starmer goes and from the right of the party as opposed to the usual gang of disgruntled leftwingers.

With Sir Keir needing to give MPs the speech of his life at 6pm and key members of staff fleeing his team, it now seems that Starmer’s exit is inevitable.

In what will be a major blow and a possible turning point for the prime minister, Anas Sarwar is expected to call for Keir Starmer’s resignation today.

Senior figures in the Scottish Labour party have reportedly said that their chances in the May election would be improved if the prime minister was gone.

Last week, Mr Sarwar slammed Peter Mandelson’s appointment, saying he should have never have been considered for the role in the first place over his ties to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Mr Sarwar has hastily arranged a press conference at 2.30pm today in Glasgow.

Tim Allan has announced he is standing down from his role as comms chief on Monday, stating that he wanted to allow a new Downing Street to be built.

The executive communications director began his career in politics as a press secretary for Tony Blair from 1992 to 1998. He was considered to be one of the foundational figures in the former prime minister’s rise.

After a stint working for Alastair Campbell, Mr Allan went on to work for media mogul Rupert Murdoch as the director of communications at Sky.

He later founded PR agency Portland Communications in 2001.

The seasoned communicator re-entered politics last September as part of a shake up of No 10.

Announcing his resignation on Monday, he said: “I have decided to stand down to allow a new No10 team to be built. I wish the PM and his team every success.”

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar is expected to call for Keir Starmer’s resignation on Monday.

Mr Sarwar has arranged a news conference in Glasgow at 2:30pm, where he is due to make the announcement.

Figures across the political spectrum – including MPs in his own party – have been questioning the prime minister’s judgement, with some declaring “it’s over” for Mr Starmer.

The clock has been ticking for some time now on a prime minister whose polling ratings have progressively worsened in his 16 months in power.

Athena Stavrou and Millie Cooke report:

Sir Keir Starmer is facing a crucial 48 hours after losing his communications chief Tim Allan and chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, as pressure continues to grow on his leadership following the Lord Mandelson scandal.

This morning he addressed No 10 staff, telling them they are united by a “driving purpose” of “public duty”.

But the bigger test today will come when he is set to face mutinous Labour MPs unhappy over his judgement on Lord Mandelson, who he appointed as ambassador to the US despite knowing that his links with Jeffrey Epstein continued after the financier’s conviction for child sex offences.

Downing Street would not say whether Sir Keir Starmer knew about comms director Tim Allan’s plan to resign at the point of his rallying speech to No 10 staff on Monday morning, suggesting he may have been blindsided by the resignation.

Questions were raised over what the PM knew and when after he failed to address Mr Allan’s resignation in the address on Monday morning, which saw him pay tribute to Morgan McSweeney, who had resigned the previous day.

The Independent’s Political Editor David Maddox reports:

Former home secretary Alan Johnson has urged Labour MPs not to force Keir Starmer out of Number 10.

He warned that a change at the top will harm the UK’s reputation.

Mr Johnson told The Independent: “The [Liz] Truss fiasco [for the Tories in 2022] was bad enough but ditching a leader who wan a huge mandate for a 5 year term of office really would make the country (and Labour) an international laughing stock.”

Mr Johnson also claimed that there is no real alternative to Starmer for Labour to turn to.

He said: “Neither [health secretary] Wes Streeting nor [former deputy PM] Angela Rayner are credible replacements so once the lynch mob calms down, Keir will be fine or as fine as he can be given the polling figures.”

Analysis by David Maddox, Political Editor:

The regular change of such a crucial role explains why, as prime minister, Sir Keir has consistently struggled to find his voice and communicate a coherent message in government.

But with Mr Allan only coming into post in September last year, this resignation shows real signs of a prime minister in trouble.

Already it had been noted that Sir Keir could not attract anyone from outside his Downing Street operation to come in with fresh thinking to be the new chief of staff, forcing him to promote both of Mr McSweeney’s deputies as an interim measure. Even people already working in other parts of the government made it clear they do not want any part of the toxic atmosphere in Downing Street.