Starmer thanks ‘strong and united’ Cabinet after day of turmoil

Sir Keir Starmer has said the “whole” of Labour wants Anas Sarwar to become First Minister – a day after the party’s Scottish leader called for the Prime Minister to quit.

In a meeting of the political Cabinet – without civil servants – Sir Keir insisted his top team was “strong and united” after ministers rallied around him with public messages of support following another day of turmoil for his premiership.

It came after Mr Sarwar became the most senior Labour figure to say the Prime Minister should step down, citing concern that the “distraction” from Downing Street would harm his party’s chances of unseating the SNP in May’s Holyrood elections.

But at the meeting on Tuesday morning, Sir Keir insisted that “the whole of the Labour Party wants Anas Sarwar to become First Minister and will fight for a Labour government in Scotland”, according to a readout.

He said the Government will “continue its relentless focus on the priorities of the British people, including tackling the cost of living,” it added.

Speaking to broadcasters earlier, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband conceded the Prime Minister had faced a “moment of peril” on Monday, when he said Labour MPs “looked over the precipice” following Mr Sarwar’s intervention.

In a defiant message at a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) last night, Sir Keir insisted he was “not prepared to walk away” and said: “I’ve won every fight I’ve ever been in.”

The lack of a concerted effort by MPs to depose him suggests the immediate danger has passed, but his authority remains fragile amid simmering discontent following the fallout from the Peter Mandelson scandal.

Mr Miliband praised the Prime Minister’s remarks, saying he had seen “the private Keir I know” who “cares passionately about changing this country so it works for ordinary people again.”

But he also said the country had not changed “enough” for the better under the Labour Government and that “the job for all of us is to work out how to be bolder”.

“What I saw from Keir last night was someone who wants to seize this moment and make it a moment of change, to reconnect with the country,” Mr Miliband told Sky News.

“For too long, this country has been run for the wealthy and powerful, and that needs to change.”

The Cabinet minister and former Labour leader dismissed as “baloney” suggestions that his message could be seen as a pitch for the top job ahead of any potential contest to replace Sir Keir.

Asked whether he would rule out running, he said: “Yes, yes, I’m not going to run.”

The Prime Minister is taking part in a community visit later on Monday as he seeks to move on from the fallout and show he is focused on easing the cost-of-living burden.

But he is expected to continue efforts to shake up his No 10 operation, with the country’s top civil servant Sir Chris Wormald rumoured to be on his way out in the coming days.

Sir Keir’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and communications chief Tim Allan have already departed as the Prime Minister seeks to revive his fortunes after a bruising start to 2026.

Asked whether the Prime Minister believed he needed to improve his personal communication, Downing Street told reporters on Tuesday he had set out a “clear determination” to deliver.

“You will see him later this afternoon talking about the cost of living, which is a priority for him and for this Government,” he said.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said the Prime Minister’s leadership is still in jeopardy despite appearing to have survived the immediate threat to his leadership.

She told the Press Association: “I’ve got a lot of questions to ask him, but he is in a very dangerous place. The Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said the quiet bit out loud.

“Labour MPs and the Labour Party have lost confidence in their leader, but the MPs are too scared of losing their jobs, so they’re not going to call an election, and they’ve given him a stay of execution.

“The sad thing is that the country is suffering from not being governed at all.”

Mrs Badenoch demanded the release of the files showing how Lord Mandelson was appointed as US ambassador and his activities in government.

She said: “Tomorrow at Prime Minister’s Questions the Prime Minister will need to explain why the documents he promised to release last week have not turned up yet.

“What are they covering up? The Cabinet Office has told ministers not to release their text messages like Wes Streeting did. I think that there’s something they’re trying to hide and I’m going to get to the bottom of it.”