Scottish Labour leader calls for Starmer to go after top aides quit but PM vows to fight on

Growing calls for the Labour leader's resignation from within his own party follow the latest Mandelson revelations contained within the Epstein files.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar was seen to call for the PM to stand down on Monday during an impromptu press conference at Trades Hall in Glasgow, saying: "the distraction needs to stop".

Downing Street insisted that Starmer would not quit in the wake of Mr Sarwar's calls, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy standing by the PM.

Speaking to staff at Downing Street on Monday, the PM insisted we must “go forward from here” and prove that politics can be a “force for good”.

"I believe it can. I believe it is. We go forward from here," Starmer said, adding: "We go with confidence as we continue changing the country."

Read more: Starmer vows to fight on amid Mandelson scandal after top aides quit

Read more: Who is Morgan McSweeney? Starmer’s election 'mastermind' at heart of Mandelson row

It comes less than a week after Mr Sarwar backed Starmer to keep his job, despite insisting that Mandelson "should never even have been considered to be the ambassador the US".

Last week, the Scottish Labour leader told Holyrood: "Peter Mandelson has betrayed his country, he has betrayed the victims of Jeffrey Epstein, he has betrayed this country, and he has betrayed the party he once belonged to, and he should feel the full force of the law."

However, Monday brought an apparent U-turn, with Mr Sarwa now calling for the PM to step aside.

It follows the resignation of two of Starmer's top officials - Downing Street Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney on Sunday, followed by Tim Allan on Monday.

Mr Allan was appointed Downing Street’s executive director of communications at the start of September under Sir Keir’s attempted “reset” at No 10.

The Downing Street shake up comes as the PM's position remains uncertain.

In the wake of the Scottish Labour leader's comments, Chancellor Rachel Reeves backed Sir Keir Starmer, saying: “With Keir as our Prime Minister we are turning the country around.”

Taking to X on Monday, David Lammy was also seen to stand by the PM, writing: "Keir Starmer won a massive mandate 18 months ago, for five years to deliver on Labour’s manifesto that we all stood on.

"We should let nothing distract us from our mission to change Britain and we support the Prime Minister in doing that."

The fallout follows Labour infighting over the appointment of the US ambassador, after emails contained within the Epstein files suggested that Mandelson may have passed on confidential information to the disgraced financier.

In the wake of the controversy, Mandelson is facing calls to hand back the “five-figure” payout he received in the wake of his sacking.

Attorney general, Richard Hermer, a close friend of Keir Starmer, also, backed him saying: “We all need to show our full-throated support for Keir. He is one of four people in UK history to win a general election for our Party, and has a five-year mandate for change from our historic victory in 2024...

"We cannot turn on ourselves before people begin to feel the benefits of those decisions. The public would never forgive us for the chaos it would bring.

"Not least because we are in an existential fight again Reform, who want to pit communities against each other and think Britain’s multicultural, tolerant culture is a weakness. Farage is desperate for us to spend weeks and months fighting each other rather than him.

"I’ve known Keir for 30 years. I know how driven and passionate he is about making this country better. He has been underestimated before, and every time he has fought back and won – and that’s what he is going to do now."

It comes as Kemi Badenoch told LBC on Monday: “Tim Allen only came in in September. He was in the job three months and he's already leaving. That does not give you any confidence that Number 10 is being well run.

"The Prime Minister is in office, not in power. If he can't do the job, then he should step aside and let someone else do it.”