Can Starmer hold on as prime minister?

The PM has already come under fire for appointing Lord Peter Mandelson as his US ambassador and appointing Lord Matthew Doyle as his communications director despite his past association with former councillor and convicted sex offender Sean Morton.

During a heated Prime Minister’s Questions, opposition leader Kemi Badenoch accused him of "stratospheric levels of delusion" and "putting the Downing Street Boys Club first".

At least seven Labour MPs have now called on Sir Keir to resign as party leader and senior members Andy Burnham, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting have been rumoured to be mounting a campaign against him.

But with support from his Cabinet members, Sir Keir has pledged to plough on, though, and has now made an effort to get his premiership back on track in an appeal to the party’s grassroots.

“It is utter nonsense to suggest that everybody gets a fair chance in life, utter nonsense. I feel very strongly about this,” he said on Monday night.

“I’m in that Cabinet as Prime Minister, having come from a working-class background to be Prime Minister of this country. But that’s the exception, that is not the rule.”

While Sir Keir’s proclamation immediately came in for questioning, a caller telling LBC’s Ben Kentish that she might as well be considered the Pope if the PM is working class, he appears convicted that he wants to continue.

But with Ms Badenoch calling his position a "stay of execution,” and a matter of “when, not if” he will be ousted, will the PM be able to survive?

Starmer’s resolve

Sir Keir’s speech on Monday followed a string of Downing Street resignations, including two of his top officials.

Downing Street chief of staff Morgan McSweeney left on Sunday, having advised Sir Keir to appoint Lord Mandelson, whose extensive links to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have now been made public. The No 10 executive director of communications Tim Allan left on Monday.

"I will never walk away from the mandate I was given to change this country,” the PM said as part of his speech to members on Monday in a rebuff to claims he might step down.

"That is who we are as a country, and I want to serve every single part of that country, the country that I love.”

Will Starmer move left?

Sir Keir’s connections to the party run deep. He was named after Keir Hardie, the founder of the party and its first Parliamentary leader from 1906 to 1908.

Mr Hardie was key in installing the left-wing ideals that became intrinsic to Labour; campaigning for women’s votes, self-rule for India, and opposition to the First World War.

However, more than 100 years later, his namesake has been criticised for dragging the party in a right-wing direction.

It has been thought, therefore, that the promotion of a working class image might be the first step in a rebrand to make him appeal to the kind of voter once attracted to Mr Hardie’s ideals.

But while it is true that Sir Keir has introduced policies further right than typical for Labour, such as not abolishing the two-child benefit cap, building ties with Donald Trump, and kicking harder left members out of the party, he has also introduced a number of left wing ones.

Since July 2024, Labour has strengthened workers rights, sought to nationalise railways and introduced tax on private schools. Some have not materialised though as the government has u-turned on its planned inheritance tax for farmers and scrapped a £28bn green investment.

Sir Keir himself has said: “I don’t have any ideology at all. There’s no such thing as Starmerism and there never will be. I will make decisions one after the other.”

YouGov’s data has shown that he adopts a range of positions; with the majority of his decisions still showing a left wing lean, but with an increasing number of centrist or right stances.

Blair government veteran David Blunkett has advised Labour MPs from trying to capitalise on the situation to suit their own ambitions for the party’s common good.

He told LBC’s Andrew Marr: "Having signed up publicly to supporting the Prime Minister and having reiterated that very clearly yesterday afternoon and following the extraordinary meeting last night, I think there's only one message, which is: If you have ambition, put it on the back burner, just for the moment, please, because there's more at stake here and if no one's prepared to put their head on the block, then other people shouldn't shoot."

A bolder Starmer?

While Sir Keir might be staying put and not be changing his policies, his speech on Monday suggests that a bolder leader might be seen in the months to come.

Environment secretary Ed Miliband has added that a “slightly different Keir” has been on show.

“It was the Keir that I know in private, that sometimes we haven't seen in public settings,” he told LBC’s Nick Ferrari.

"It was a Keir who was absolutely passionate, absolutely clear about why he was there, [and] what the purpose of the Government was.”

Aggie Chambre, LBC’s political correspondent, said that Labour colleagues greeted the speech with applause.

"People inside were telling me [the Prime Minister's speech] was genuinely pretty stirring, emotional,” she said.

"A Labour MP told me it was the best speech he has ever made."

Sir Keir Starmer factfile

How old is Keir Starmer?

63 (born September 2, 1962)

How did Starmer become Prime Minister?

Sir Keir was elected leader of the Labour Party in 2020 following the resignation of Jeremy Corbyn. He led the party to a significant victory in the 2024 General Election, and now heads a majority government.

Why is he called ‘Sir’?

Sir Keir was knighted in 2014 by then-Prince of Wales Charles for his public service as Director of Public Prosecutions.

Is Keir Starmer married?

Starmer married solicitor Victoria Alexander in 2007. They have two children.

Is Keir Starmer vegan?

Sir Keir is a pescatarian, meaning he eats fish but avoids meat, and his wife is a vegetarian. They raised their children as vegetarians until they turned 10.

What is Keir Starmer’s religion?

Sir Keir is an atheist, notably choosing to make a ‘secular affirmation’ rather than taking an oath when he was elected as an MP in 2015. His wife is Jewish, and Starmer takes Friday evenings off in accordance with her faith.