Keir Starmer latest LIVE: PM gives crunch address to Labour MPs after party's Scottish leader urges him to quit

Anas Sarwar calling on Starmer to resign came as a fresh bresh blow to the embattled Prime Minister after a second key ally quit

Mr Sarwar made the call at an emergency news conference in Glasgow on Monday afternoon.

This lunchtime No10 said he will not resign and will be “concentrating on the job at hand”, amid the fallout of the Lord Peter Mandelson scandal.

But senior Cabinet figures soon rallied around the embattled Prime Minister, along with Angela Rayner, who has been talked of as a successor should he go.

The mounting pressure on the PM came after a second key aide of Starmer, communications chief Tim Allan, quit on Monday morning, just a day after the resignation of Morgan McSweeney.

A spokesperson for the PM insisted that Sir Keir was “upbeat” and “confident”, despite his premiership being plunged into unprecedented crisis.

Continued revelations from the Epstein files has piled pressure on No10, with growing anger among Labour MPs around the appointment of Peter Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador to the US.

The Prime Minister is expected to address a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party later on Monday amid anger over his appointment of Lord Mandelson, despite knowing that his links with Jeffrey Epstein continued after the financier's conviction for child sex offences.

Follow the latest updates below…

William and Kate ‘deeply concerned’ about Andrew's Epstein links as royals address scandal for first time Morgan McSweeney resigns as Starmer’s chief of staff following Mandelson controversy Andrew shared confidential trade information with Epstein while envoy, files indicate Live updates

5 minutes agoReeves says Starmer’s address to Labour MPs was 'excellent'Chancellor Rachel Reeves said Sir Keir Starmer’s address to Labour MPs was “excellent” but acknowledged it had been a “very difficult” period following the revelations about Lord Mandelson and Jeffrey Epstein.

She said: “Everyone said, Keir is a man of great integrity and he is the person with a mandate to deliver the change that all of our constituents want to see.

“The last few days have been very, very difficult for the country, most importantly for the victims of Epstein, difficult for the party.

“Mistakes have been made but lessons will be learned.”

31 minutes agoLisa Nandy says Keir Starmer has full backing of Labour PartyCulture Secretary Lisa Nandy has said Keir Starmer has the full backing of the Labour Party.

She spoke to the BBC after Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar called for him to step down as PM.

"Respectfully, I strongly disagree with Anas," Ms Nandy told the broadcaster.

She said Starmer "made a mistake" in appointing Peter Mandelson as ambassador - a mistake he is "right to have owned up to" and apologised for.

"We will go out and do the job that we were elected to do…we are all fully behind the prime minister," she added.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy during a visit to the Barbican theatre in central London (Yui Mok/PA)PA Wire 1 hour agoFormer boss of Homes England joins Reform UKSimon Dudley, the former boss of Homes England has revealed he is joining Reform UK.

This comes as Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK announced he was working on bringing more “experts” on board to advise the party.

Dudley, who previously held positions at HSBC, said “For too long, the two main parties have failed to deliver housing for Brits.”

“They’ve pursued a disastrous combination of extreme levels of immigration with a severe lack of new good quality homes.”

Simon Dudley is part of Mr Farage’s new cohort of ‘experts’ advising the partyPA 1 hour agoStarmer met with applause at meeting of the Parliamentary Labour PartySir Keir Starmer has been met with applause as he arrived at a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party.

He was greeted by a standing ovation, as MPs have rallied in support of the prime minister, the BBC reported.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has faced calls to step down todayPA Wire 1 hour agoStarmer leaves Downing Street to address Labour MPs Sir Keir Starmer is expected to address Labour MPs within the next few minutes as he seeks to bolster support for his leadership.

He has just been seen leaving Downing Street in a car, which was expected to drive him to Parliament where he will then talk to the parliamentary Labour party.

Scores of Labour MPs and peers have packed into a Commons committee room where Sir Keir will address them as he fights for his political future.

Dozens of reporters gathered outside the room deep in the Palace of Westminster as security staff guarded the door.

1 hour agoSarwar branded 'opportunist' after calling for Starmer to step down Scotland’s First Minister has branded Anas Sarwar “an opportunist” after he called for the Prime Minister to step down.

Speaking to the Press Association at his official residence at Bute House, the John Swinney said: “For years, he has been a cheerleader for Keir Starmer and he’s described himself as an old friend of Peter Mandelson, without a moment’s thought for the victims of Jeffrey Epstein.

“And now he suddenly wants us to believe that Keir Starmer should move on, having defended all of the terrible decisions that Keir Starmer has made.”

He added: “What today tells us is that Anas Sarwar is an opportunist, and that he’s prepared to use every opportunity for his own self-preservation.”

Mr Sarwar’s intervention, at a hastily-arranged press conference in Glasgow, has “strengthened the Prime Minister”, Mr Swinney said, while demonstrating Mr Sarwar “has absolutely no influence” in the UK-wider Labour Party.

2 hours agoNigel Farage putting Reform UK on 'election war footing'Nigel Farage has said he is putting Reform UK on an “election war footing” amid the turmoil facing Keir Starmer.

In a post on X he said : “I am putting Reform UK on a general election war footing.”

There is no suggestion Labour are planning to take the country to the polls early, even if Keir Starmer is toppled as Prime Minister.

But Starmer faces a key test in the upcoming Gorton and Denton by-election- with Reform seen as Labour’s main rival. A poor result could see him pushed out by Labour MPs.

2 hours agoDavid Lammy rejects calls for Starmer to stand down: 'It took 14 years to get here' The deputy prime minister has hit back at calls for Sir Keir Starmer to stand down, Sky News reported.

Addressing reporters on Downing Street calling for the PM to go, Mr Lammy said: “It took 14 years to get here. No”.

Mr Lammy struck back at reporters on Downing StreetGetty Images 3 hours agoPolitical crisis in No10 has eased, but this is not the end There was an uneasy silence in Westminster this morning, as no cabinet ministers had come forward to back the Prime Minister, creating a tense atmosphere.

By the afternoon, however, ministers took to social media to show their support for Sir Keir Starmer, insisting he must be given time to ‘get the job done’.

But while it appears that the PM is safe from any mass cabinet walkout for now, the political crisis is far from over.

Some believe the PM’s position has become untenable following the fallout from the Peter Mandelson crisis, and that the issue is unlikely to fade anytime soon.

3 hours agoEducation Secretary Bridget Phillipson backs the PM Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has also backed the PM.

Speaking to BBC 5Live she said: “Starmer was elected 18 months ago to do a job and he should be allowed to get on and do that job".

She said Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar’s press conference this afternoon, to call for the resignation of the PM, was “profoundly the wrong call”.

Starmer is set to address the Parliamentary Labour Party later today.

Keir Starmer latest LIVE: PM gives crunch address to Labour MPs after party's Scottish leader urges him to quit

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